Only Revenge, Right?
by Pey119
Summary: After finding out Bianca was dead, Nico ran away from Camp Half-Blood and was trained by King Minos. But what if he hadn't chosen the Olympian's side? Young and deceived, Kronos' army seems like a pretty nice option to him. Cover is not mine
1. Chapter 1

Nico held the gun up to the boy's head, his expression cold as he gazed at him. "Go home or never see the light of day again."

Inside, however, Nico's chest was about to explode with emotions. Could he really kill this boy? Yes, he realized, he could. He had killed before.

"Percy!" a woman tried to fight her way through the now silent soldiers as they watched the scene. "Percy!"

The boy in front of him, Percy Jackson, glanced over at her. He spoke quietly, his eyes shinning with an unknown light. "I'll be okay, mom." he then turned to Nico. "I'm not giving up anytime soon. Nico, you should see why. You of all people should want to protect fami-"

"Shut up!" Nico hissed, digging the barrel deeper into the his forehead. "You mention her even once and I'll blow your brains across the pavement."

"You wouldn't." Percy replied.

"Want to bet?" Nico fingered the trigger. "Kronos wants you dead, and so do I."

 _ **Two Years Earlier**_

"She wanted you to have this." Percy whispered, his breath visible in the cold air as he took out the small figurine.

Gently, Nico took it in his palm. "You promised you would protect her."

"Nico," Percy managed. "I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to, but she-"

"You promised!" Nico yelled, glaring at him. "I shouldn't have trusted you. You lied to me. My nightmares were right."

"Wait. What nightmares?" Percy asked, immediately confused.

Nico threw the figurine, not caring as it clattered against the ground. "I hate you!"

Percy's face fell. "She might be alive. I don't know for sure-"

"She's dead." Nico closed his eyes, cutting him off again as he trembled with rage. "I should've known it earlier. She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."

"What do you mean, you can feel it?" Percy was once again in confusion. Before he could get an answer, however, he turned around at Nico's gasp and saw the skeletons.

"You're trying to kill me!" Nico screamed, immediately assuming the worst. "You brought these…these things?"

"No! I mean, yes, they followed me, but no! Nico, run. They can't be destroyed."

"I don't trust you!"

Percy began fighting as they charged, but nothing he could do could injure them. "Run, Nico! Get help!"

"No!" Nico shouted. "Go away!"

Percy stopped fighting when the ground started rumbling, the skeletons freezing. Rolling out of the way in time, he watched as the skeletons were eaten into the fissure.

It was silent as Percy stared at the mark on the ground before he turned to Nico. "How did you-?"

"Go away!" he yelled. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

Nico ran down the steps as fast as possible, heading for the woods. When he finally looked back, Percy wasn't behind him.

Nico continued running, not stopping until he was too far in to be seen. Crumbling to his knees, he let himself cry out in disappear. Bianca, his only sister, his only family…she was gone. All because of _Percy Jackson_. Nico would get revenge, one day, and nothing could stop him. Percy was powerful, but Nico was also a demigod. He had to have some powers. And he could train those powers, and finally get his revenge.

And then came the thought of bringing Bianca back. It was possible, right? There was an Underworld, that much he knew, so her soul wasn't gone forever. She was somewhere where he could grasp her in his hands, bring her back before anybody could notice. It almost sounded too easy.

Would she want to come back? Yes, Nico decided, she would. She had barely lived and had a lot more to do before her life was over. He had to give her a second chance. That way, he could finally do something right. Something he could be proud of.

His thoughts turned back to his nightmares, how he knew that she died, how he knew she was being judged. Then he thought about the skeletons, the figurine that Percy had given him. Could he possibly be….No, he couldn't. To be a son of a major god…he wasn't even powerful.

Hearing the snow crunch nearby, he quickly jumped up. He had to get out of there quickly, before they found him. He wasn't ready yet to fight, and if he saw Percy Jackson again, he _would_ attack.

Stumbling deeper into the woods, he tried to ignore the monsters as he hid behind a mound of rocks. As soon as he crouched, however, he was free falling until he landed on a stone path.

Looking around in fear, Nico's eyes widened as he backed against the wall. His breaths escaped in short gasps, his heart racing as he tried to figure out where he was.

"Master, don't fret."

Nico jumped, holding his arms in front of him as a shield. Looking around, nothing was there. "Where are you?!"

A man stepped forward, his whole form transparent and blurry. Towering over Nico, the man wore white robes that hung from his body with a pointed beard that man him unforgettable. Inside, Nico wanted to laugh at it, but he couldn't find it in him to smile.

"Who are you?"

"Minos." the man took a step forward. "I'm here to help, sent by your father."

"My father…" Nico found himself mumbling. "It couldn't be-"

"Yes, the king of the Underworld. We have much to talk about. Come." the man held his hand out.

"How should I trust you?" Nico asked, peering at him. "I know your name. You were that evil king."

"Was I really that evil?" he asked, smiling. "Ask yourself that. Those around you would call you evil for getting revenge on that Jackson boy, but you know it isn't evil. I'm the same."

Nico nodded a little. "What do you want? What do we have to talk about?"

"Your father sent me to train you." he gazed at him. "Believe it or not, you're one of the most powerful demigods of this century. With a little training, you could be unstoppable."

"And I can get revenge on Percy." Nico smiled, warming up to the idea. Deep inside, he knew he shouldn't be trusting this easily, but what else did he have to loose?

Minos, as he introduced himself, held his hand out again. "Come, there's lots to do."

Nico nodded, following him. "What powers do I have? What did I inherit?"

"All in good time. Now, we need to lead ourselves out of this maze. Ever been to New York City?"


	2. Chapter 2

"You said you were supposed to be training me!" Nico yelled, his small voice echoing down the alley.

"Don't worry, young master. This is all part of it." Minos smiled at him before disappearing, leaving him on the streets of New York.

"How is this training?!" Nico yelled again. "This is just going to get me killed!"

He turned to the stone wall next to him, kicking it as hard as possible. He expected pain, expected a couple broken toes. He didn't expect, however, his foot to go through it like it was liquid. It bent around him, not damaging him—and when he pulled away—not damaging the wall.

Nico stared, breathless in awe, at what he had done. This had to be something to do with his powers…right?

"Look what we've got here." the voice made Nico scramble to turn around, seeing the couple of men advancing on him. "This kid doesn't know the rules of the streets, does he?"

Nico swallowed thickly, backing up a little. "L-leave me alone."

The main man, a ginger with an undercut and pierced lips, smiled roughly at him. "This kid's got a voice. Thinks he's the boss of this happ'ning."

"Whatcha thinking?" a skinnier one asked, his back leaned against the wall. "Think he's got money on him?"

"I don't." Nico admitted, backing up, accidentally tripping on something, sending him to his butt.

The thugs started laughing as soon as possible, one wiping his eyes from tears.

"This is going to be fun." the ginger kneeled in front of Nico, taking his face in his hands. "Where's your parents, kid?"

"Dead," Nico looked away in defeat. "Look, if this is your alley or something, tell me where one is that I can sleep in. Because I've got nowhere else to go."

The man let go of his face, his expression softening slightly. "Empty your pockets."

Nico did so, throwing some Mythomagic cards to the ground before looking up at him. "That's all I've got."

He picked up a card, slipping it through his fingers. "This game? Isn't this for babies?"

Nico blushed in embarrassment, backing away again. "I-I never really liked it much."

"Liar." he threw the cards back at Nico. "I can tell when something's been used a lot. Those cards have been through a lot of touching. When did you start playing?"

Nico found himself staring, not fully believing what he had been asked. Was he…making friends with a thug?

"When did you start playing?" the man asked, threateningly this time.

"W-when I was ten." Nico stumbled over his words, hastily picking the cards up. "It's all I got left from my sister."

"When was 'when I was ten'?" the man asked, smirking. "Last week?"

Nico flushed again. "L-last year. W-why haven't you killed me yet?"

The man laughed, leaning his head back. "I like you. I think you're a keeper."

Nico looked at him in confusion. "W-what?"

"You've said you've got no place to go. And I happen to have a best friend that loves that game. Why don't you come hang with us for awhile?" he asked, standing up. He then offered his hand to Nico. "Plus, I know what it's like to get thrown out with nothing."

Nico smiled softly, stuffing the cards in his pockets before taking his hand, pulling himself up. "T-thanks."

"Don't thank me yet." the man led him away. "I may be keeping you safe from the rest of us, but there's no way I can provide food or shelter."

Nico nodded in understanding. "I know."

The man smiled. "You can call me Night-Crawler, by the way."

"I'm Nico." Nico managed, following him. His hands still shook, but he began to calm down.

`~-`~-`~-

The rest of that winter was the worst Nico had ever been through. His powers didn't feel like showing up (if he even had any), so he was left to freezing on the streets with nothing to eat except what he could find in dumpsters. When he did find those foods, they left him feeling too nauseated to walk.

After a month, Nico lost whatever childlike part of him he had left. He was cold, inside and out, with nothing to do but stare at the sky as days went by. Nico dreamt about the nights at the casino, the warm beds and hot meals. He dreamt of Bianca's smiling face, her motherly actions as she tucked him in and involved him in tickle fests. Nico couldn't understand how he had been so happy, but he longed for it. He wanted to turn back time, but he couldn't. All he could do was lay there. So he did.

"I don't like the way he's looking." Nico heard Night-Crawler mumble to a young man—Adrian—, his voice low but slightly shaking. "The kid's like, fifty pounds. Hasn't moved in a couple weeks."

Nico kept his eyes closed, listening in on the nearby conversation.

Adrian sighed, trying to keep his voice down. "You worry too much about him. He isn't yours."

"I know, but I really think he's sick. Too sick. You've got to admit that something's wrong."

Nico sighed, keeping his eyes closed. Of course he was sick. Who could think otherwise? How long had it been since he had eaten? Two weeks? Three? He found himself not caring, so used to the feeling of hunger that it didn't bother him. No, the thing that bothered him was the constant headaches and dizziness. The last time he tried standing up, he passed out on the spot. Vaguely, he wondered if he was dying.

"He needs some food in him." Night-Crawler continued. "I'm going to go find something. Will you watch him?"

Adrian didn't speak his opinion out loud, but after a couple minutes, Nico felt his presence sit next to him. After a couple of peacefully minutes, Adrian shook Nico awake as screams started sounding.

"What…?" Nico managed, finding even to sit up an impossible task.

"Run. Now!" Adrian hoisted him to his feet, half carrying him. "Get out of here, kid."

"Why?" Nico looked around before turning pale, his eyes frozen at the front of the alley.

"Nico, go!" Adrian pushed him roughly as another gunshot sounded, the older one's body falling to the ground.

Immediately, Nico felt the anger filling his body as he looked at the scene. There was Night-Crawler, his brains exploded onto the pavement. Then there was Adrian, blood gushing out of his chest at an alarming rate. And for what? Some stupid gang rivalry?

Nico's vision turned red, screaming out in anger as he stepped forward, his body shaking. That man, the one with the gun, he had killed them.

"Murderer." Nico snarled, clenching his fists. He stepped forward, his beaten up converse immediately stained with the blood of his old friend.

The man pointed the gun to him, smirking. "They really had adopted a kid, hadn't they?"

Nico felt his blood rush, his heart beating like it had that night at camp. Those skeletons, the way they rose…it had been him. And he knew it. Now, Nico didn't bother to stop his power.

Shadows rolled off of him in waves, making the man hesitate as he backed up a little. "What the h-?"

Nico let out a scream, thrusting his hand forward. His ears popped from the pressure, his hand immediately feeling like it weighed ten times more.

"Pull," Minos said from behind him, the first time Nico had seen him in months.

He listened, however, closing his fists and pulling towards him. His eyes widened in shock, watching as an almost transparent skin was pulled from the screaming man. Through the minutes, Nico couldn't help but smirk. This was revenge, and it felt amazing.

Finally he pulled his hand back, watching as the body crumbled to the ground. He unclenched his fist, watching as the transparent orb fell to the ground, passing through the concrete.

Breathing heavily, Nico turned to Minos. "What was that?"

Minos glanced around, grabbing his hand. "Your powers. Now lets get out of here before the police show."

Nico nodded, about to follow him, before stopping, turning back around. He kneeled beside Night-Crawler, closing what was left of his eyes as he felt tears prickle in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, quickly wiping his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Master, we must be going." Minos said coldly, standing above him. "There is nothing left here. Your lesson is over."

"My _lesson_?" Nico glared up at him. "Are you saying you did this? You killed them?"

"Not at all." Minos gazed at him. "You got attached. You learned not to. You learned to use one of your…extraordinary powers. You don't want to be here when the cops show."

"But-"

"Master, this is what your father wants. And this is the only way to get your revenge."

Nico nodded, wiping his eyes one last time before standing up. "It's the only way."

"That's right." Minos began in the other direction. "You do want to get your revenge, right?"

Nico nodded quickly.

"Then this is the only way. It's all worth it, right?"

Nico nodded again. "Yes, it is."


	3. Chapter 3

"Try harder!" Minos yelled. "You need to complete this today!"

Nico bit his lip, sweat dripping down his forehead as he held his hands out in front of him. He could do this, he knew he could. He just needed to try a little harder.

Nico let out a breath when he made a little piece of obsidian rise, holding it in the air in front of him.  
"Hold for ten seconds." Minos instructed. "Ten, nine, eight…"

Nico fell on his knees, the stone immediately dropping to the ground, breaking in two.

"Three seconds. Not enough." Minos commented. "Try again."

"One break?" Nico asked, breathing heavily.

"Will a break get you any closer to your revenge?"

Nico shook his head sadly, forcing himself back up. "Ten seconds?"

"This time, twenty."

Nico bit his lip, starting again.

-line break-

"You need a way to navigate. A quick escape route." Minos lectured, keeping himself away from the edge of the River Styx. "This is where another of your powers come in."

"What's that?" Nico asked, trying to build a fire.

"Shadow traveling." Minos explained. "All shadows are connected. Because of your heritage, you can use them as doorways."

Nico looked up at him, now curious. "Like, just walk into a shadow?"

Minos nodded. "That's the main thing. You need to picture where you're heading, think it clearly in your mind. And don't get lost in the shadow realm. That will lead to sure death."

Nico stood up, bouncing. "I'm going to try!"

Minos smiled. "Go ahead."

Nico looked around him, finding an area of shadow before running forward. He kept running, however, not seceding.

Nico stopped, turning to glare at the ghost. "It didn't work."

"Practice, master. Like everything else."

"I'm not going to run into walls for a week!"

"So you'll let Percy Jackson get away with nothing?"

Nico frowned, glaring at the ground. "I'll try again in a second."

"That's a second wasted."

Nico sighed, running forward again. Falling to the ground, his knees scraped against the rocky beach.

Nico yelled out in frustration, slamming his hands on the ground. "Just work already!"

"Again." Minos commanded. "Think of your powers. You're powerful."

Nico nodded, standing up. After about five more times, his eyes widened in shock as everything became ice cold. Looking around, everything around him was dark as screams echoed in his ears. The pressure built up, and right before he thought he couldn't take it, he stepped onto solid ground.

Nico was aware of a cheery blossom tree above him before his eyes closed, asleep before he even met the ground.

-line break-

When Nico woke up, his whole body ached. It took a second for his vision to clear, but when it did, he saw that he was in a small room. Paintings decorated the walls, all with unknown lettering.

Nico groaned, sitting up. "Where am I?"

"Zhõngguó, *1*" a woman appeared next to him, gently putting a washrag on his head. "Nî de mingzi *2*?"

Nico looked at her in confusion. "English?"

She pointed to herself. "Biyu."

Nico pointed to himself, wincing slightly. "Nico."

She smiled, taking the rag back and walking out.

"Wait!" Nico called, putting a hand to his head. She left the room, ignoring him.

Nico laid back down, trying to settle his throbbing head. Turning to the right, he watched through the window as the cherry blossom trees swayed in the wind. Immediately, everything came rushing back.

"I did it!" Nico smiled at himself, laughing in relief. "I did it!"

He looked around the room after a second, his laughs dying. "But this wasn't where I wanted to go. Where am I?"

He looked around for a minute before laying back, enjoying laying in a warm bed after so long. The last time he did, his sister was still alive. That was how long ago? Four months? Five? Honestly, he didn't know. Time seemed to fly out the window.

His thoughts turned back to Bianca, his eyes quickly watering. No, he wouldn't cry. He wouldn't let the world see him cry.

Wiping his eyes furiously, he glared out the window. He couldn't stay there long, no matter how much he was tempted. He had a mission to complete.

Biyu, the old woman who seemed to be around eighty, came into the room again, holding a tray. She carefully set it in front of Nico, showing a plate of noodles and chop sticks.

Nico smiled, his stomach rumbling as he immediately started to eat. Not knowing how to use the chop sticks, he threw them aside and used his hands.

Biyu smiled at him, pulling a map out and showing it to him. She then pointed to China. "Zhõngguó,*3*"

Nico stopped eating, freezing in place. "China?! I was just in America!"

The woman looked at him in confusion.

Nico pointed to America.

Biyu nodded, rolling the map back up before pointing to his bowl. Getting the message, Nico started to eat again.

She set a tea cup in front of him after a couple minutes, taking his empty bowl. She then pointed inside it, giving him a questioning look.

Nico nodded. "Yes, please."

She smiled, heading out.

Nico looked around again before taking a sip of the tea, smiling softly at the taste. Early grey tea…Bianca used to make it when they were in the casino.

The woman came back with another bowl of noodles, setting it on the tray in front of him. She then pointed to his head.

Nico touched his head gently, wincing. "Hurts."

She nodded, seeing his painful look, getting up and heading out.

Nico watched her in confusion but soon started eating again. Only one thought troubled him. How was he going to get back to America? What if the shadow traveling didn't work?

She came back in with an ice pack, gently touching it to his head. She held up a mirror, him seeing that his forehead held a large bruise.

Nico nodded, wincing again. Once his bowl and the cup were empty, he laid back in exhaustion. He never slept because of training, and now he could finally rest.

Nico widened his eyes, sitting up quickly. Training! Where was Minos?

Biyu took the tray hesitantly, watching him before walking out.

"Minos?" Nico looked around the room, glaring into the shadows. After a second, the ghost began to form. "How long have I been out?"

"Training, now." he demanded, his eyes flashing. "We've wasted valuable weeks."

"Weeks…" Nico muttered, immediately standing up. Ignoring the pain, he walked out of the room.

Biyu ran up to him, putting her hands on his shoulders to sit him down. Her eyes flashed with concern, looking him over.

Nico looked in her eyes, saying the only Chinese he knew. "Xie xie *4*."

She smiled softly at him, stepping out of the way. "Bu keqi *5*."

Nico smiled at her one last time before leaving, walking to the shadow of the cherry blossom trees. After about ten tries, he shadow traveled again.

 _ **Translations:**_

 _ ***1*: China**_

 _ ***2*: are you alright?**_

 _ ***3*: China**_

 _ ***4*: thank you**_

 _ ***5*: your welcome**_


	4. Chapter 4

He stepped out of the shadows, this time having enough time to lay in the dirty street before passing out. When he woke up, it had only been a week.

"Up, now!" Minos stood above him. "You're wasting too much time. No more breaks."

Nico bit his lip, standing up difficultly. "I'm tired…"

"So is Percy Jackson. Do you see him giving up?"

Nico sighed, standing up. "What should I practice now?"

"Soul taking."

"I already did that twice!" Nico protested immediately. "Killed two people!"

"And you need to perfect it so you can use it on Percy Jackson." Minos brought his eyes over to a young girl jumping down from a fire escape. "Now or never."

Nico bit his lip, reaching his hand out and closing his fist. The girl stopped dead in her tracks as the weight of his hand increased, her soul clinging to it.

He started to pull towards him, her screams filling the alley as she clung to her chest in pain. The transparent layer of her started to come towards him, making her screams even louder.

"Good job," Minos encouraged in his ear, making Nico smile in victory. This was it, he was doing it. He was doing what he was born to.

He brought the soul towards him quickly, watching as her body dropped before sending it in the ground, to his father in the Underworld.

"I think I perfected it." Nico wheezed, feeling tired again. Every time he used his powers, he felt like he just ran a marathon.

Minos shook his head. "Not yet. You need to be quicker."

Nico nodded, leaning against the wall. "Who next?"

Minos smiled. "Why don't we go try one of your little friends at camp? It will be the ultimate challenge."

"They're not my friends." Nico scowled.

"Prove it."

Nico smiled, stepping into the shadows.

-line break-

He woke up in the woods of Camp Half-Blood, a couple days after shadow traveling. Standing up shakily, he started to walk towards the Camp.

"Who do you pick?" Minos asked, floating beside him. "And stop walking like that. You look weak."

Nico nodded weakly, standing up straighter. "I'm not sure. Maybe a Hermes kid?"

"Is that a question?"

"A Hermes kid." Nico quickly replied. "Or whoever walks closest to the forest."

Minos didn't answer, floating beside him.

Nico sighed, clenching his fists as he tried to keep his energy. When this was done, when Percy Jackson was dead, he was going to sleep for months. He was too tired for his own good.

But he couldn't rest until he was dead.

He tried to walk quietly, but every time Nico stepped, it sounded like an army was coming. Or was it just him? Nico's heart was beating over time, sweat dripping down his face and chest.

Nico stopped, leaning against a tree, breathing heavily.

"What are you dong?!" Minos appeared in front of him. "Walk. Now."

Nico looked up at him tiredly. "I don't think I can..."

Minos' eyes flared, glaring at him. "Walk. Now."

Nico bit his lip, standing up fully, stumbling on. Fighting to keep his eyes open and his legs working, Nico soon came to the edge of the tree line.

Leaning against a tree, he watched silently. For awhile, nobody came near them.

"You may have to go further in." Minos reported, flying around him. "Campers are smart not to go in the woods."

"Shut up," Nico growled, watching.

After about ten minutes, a little girl came skipping by. Her hair was pure blonde, almost white, with eyes the color of the sky. She was singing at the top of her lungs, carrying a first aid kit.

"A daughter of Apollo." Nico glanced at Minos. "Will she do?"

Minos nodded immediately. "Young."

Nico breathe out deeply before sticking his hand out, closing his fist. His winced slightly when the girl started screaming, pulling quickly.

When he finally got the whole soul in his hand, he quickly sent it to the ground. Campers started to show up then, one blond boy leaning over her frame, sobbing.

Nico turned around and ran as quickly as possible, hearing their feet as they chased him. They were far back, but if they got close enough, they would see him.

Finding enough shadows, he ran into them, appearing by the River Styx. This time, he didn't wake up for a month.

When Nico did wake up, he ignored the pounding headache and started a fire. He began throwing his cards in, watching them burn.

"Useless," he muttered. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

"A childish game, master." Minos agreed.

Nico sighed, staring at the water. "I've failed. There's no way to get her back."

Minos didn't speak.

Nico turned around quickly. "Is there? Speak."

"It has never been done." Minos tried not to smile. "But there may be a way."

"Tell me." Nico smiled happily, forgetting about his weariness.

"An exchange. A soul for a soul."

"I've tried!"

"Not yours." Minos answered. "You cannot offer your father a soul he will eventually collect anyway. Nor will he be anxious for the death of his son. I mean a soul that should have died already. Someone who has cheated death."

Nico stared at the fire. "Very well. You have a plan?"

"Oh, yes." Minos smiled. "We have many dark roads to travel. But the soul will be Daedalus'."

Nico nodded. "The old inventor. The one that built that maze."

"So get up." Minos commanded. "Let's go. We have a lot to do."


	5. Chapter 5

Walking through the Labyrinth, Nico could barely think. His body was giving up, he could feel it, but with everything he had left, he put one foot in front of the other. It was Hell, but he kept going. He had to.

Nico tripped, falling face first into the dirt below. He laid there, however, staring at the ground. With no energy to get up, he let his limbs relax.

"Up!" Minos commanded, glaring down at him. "Do I have to remind you how important this is? You have to be at your best!"

Nico groaned, forcing himself up. His mouth tasted like blood and dirt, his body felt like it had been stampeded by a hundred rhinos.

One step more. Just one more.

He kept using this mantra, but there was never only one step more. They just kept walking, following nothing but Minos' intuition.

Nico froze, feeling the blade at the back of his neck.

"Who are you?" a voice from behind him asked, cold and uncaring.

Nico swallowed thickly, remembering the lines Minos had given him. "Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I thought I should join you, because I want to personally see Percy Jackson fall."

"Swear on the River Styx?"

"I swear." Nico replied, relaxing when the sword was taken away. Turning around, he saw the owner of the voice. His blond hair was cut short, his face masked with a scar running from his eye to his chin. Luke Castellan.

"Luke, nice to meet you." Nico held his hand out.

Luke took it, seizing the boy up. "You're a son of Hades? That means you're powerful."

Nico nodded, smiling proudly at himself. "Yeah, I am."

"Come with me," Luke invited, leading him away. Nico followed close behind, trying to keep his eyes open. This was important, he had to stay awake. Had to stay alive.

Luke led him to a large amphitheater, sitting on a bleacher. "Demonstrate some of your powers."

Nico sighed, rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up. Stepping into the middle, he held his hands out, raising a large piece of obsidian. He then threw it, watching as it broke against the wall.

Luke watched, not commenting.

Nico took another breath before holding his hand out, watching as the ground split open, three skeleton warriors standing in front of him. They stared at him, waiting for commands.

Luke's eyes widened in shock before he quickly went back to frowning, still not saying anything.

Nico banished them quickly, stepping into a shadow. He reappeared behind Luke, making the older one jump slightly.

"If you want to see my last power, I need someone you don't mind dying." Nico whispered, going back to the middle of the floor.

Luke eyes him closely before nodding, yelling for somebody. A boy came running in, a dark eye patch over one eye. "Here you go, son of Hades."

Nico nodded slightly, turning to the boy. Just like he had many times before, he held his arm out and clenched his fist. Ignoring the boy's screams, he brought his fist towards him. After about a minute (which was a new low time), he banished the soul into the earth.

"He's really dead?" Luke asked in awe. "Dude, you are so on our side. Really nice job."

Nico smiled, proud at himself. "Can I kill Percy Jackson?"

Luke nodded. "If you help us with those powers, Percy Jackson is all yours."

Nico laughed in relief, putting a hard against his forehead. "Awesome. What's your guy's plan?"

"To awake Kronos." Luke explained, standing up. "You're going to help. Be my second in command."

Nico nodded, his eyes fluttering. "I-I..."

Luke glanced at him. "What?"

"Thanks," Nico whispered, finally passing out from exhaustion.

-line break-

"Son of Hades, we have work to do!" Luke's face filled his blurry vision, the blond smiling. "No more sleeping."

Nico blinked a couple times, but his vision still wouldn't work correctly. His body felt numb, almost nonworking. When he tried to rub his eyes, his hand wouldn't move.

Luke suddenly looked down at him in confusion. "You okay?"

"N-no…" Nico breathed out, starting to cough immediately.

"Get one of the medics!" Luke yelled, kneeling next to him. "We can't lose our most powerful! Hurry!"

Nico kept his gaze on him, trying to get his vision to work. This only happened when he had no sleep, and he just slept. So what was wrong?

Another boy kneeled next to Nico, immediately feeling his pulse. Nico watched, unable to do anything else. The pain he was in…

"I can't die." Nico managed. "Not until I kill Percy."

Luke nodded, watching the medic. "You're not dying, son of Hades."

The medic nodded at Luke. "Overuse of his powers. He needs rest and some food before he burns himself up."

Nico frowned, Minos' words coming back to him. "No rest."

"I'll wake you when we get Percy." Luke promised. "Or if we need a quick assassination."

Nico closed his eyes again, liking the deal, immediately falling back asleep.

He didn't get better as they hoped, however.

When Nico woke up next, Luke gave him an assignment of someone to take out. Nico complied, traveling to Camp Half-Blood. Charles Beckendorf was dead before a minute, but when Nico got back to the Princess Andromeda, he passed out again.

They couldn't wake him for a month, and when they did, Nico had no vision at all. From there, it took him a week to regain movement of his arms. The only reason Luke put up with it was because he knew Nico would be useful in the last fight.

The Battle of Manhattan. 


	6. Chapter 6

Nico put the dark armor on, feeling the best he had in awhile. Rest, he decided, had really been what he needed. Now he felt ready to take on all the demigods, right after he'd slain Percy.

Nico smiled. Daedalus was dead, yes, but Nico could still get his revenge. That was the one thing he wanted, and now would get. It was what he pushed himself over the limit for. And today was the day.  
"Almost time." Luke muttered, watching the blue lights in the sky.

Nico nodded, closing his eyes slightly. He was more than ready, but something inside him told him something was off. Something wasn't right.

"Let's go," Luke finally said, standing up. Or was it Kronos now? Either way, Nico liked calling him Luke better. Made him sound more human.

But were any of them human anymore?

Walking through the streets of Manhattan seemed almost too easy. Everywhere he looked, fallen bodies lay discarded on the ground. Blood stained the streets, red and golden, but all Nico could do was smile. This was it.

About twenty feet away, the Empire State Building loomed over them. Nico smiled triumphantly as Percy ran out of the base, his eyes widening when he saw them.

"Nico di Angelo…" Percy looked at them. "Luke,"

Nico glared at Percy, taking a step forward. Immediately, Chiron was in front of him.

Chiron notched an arrow, pointing it at Kr…Luke. It was still Luke, the one Nico ended up befriending.

"Step aside, little son." Luke glanced at Percy before turning to Chiron.

"I'm afraid not." Chiron said calmly. "Especially with a son of Hades at your side."

"That's why you should be scared enough to move." Nico mumbled, keeping his gaze on Percy. "Especially when that one son of Hades is more powerful then that pitiful son of Poseidon."

"You're a teacher, not a hero." Luke took a step forward.

"Luke was a hero." Chiron snarled. "He was a good one, until _you_ corrupted him."

"Nobody corrupted Luke." Nico said quietly. "He's right there."

Kronos glanced over at him. "Silence, son of Hades."

"My name's Nico," Nico muttered again, gripping his sword nervously. What was he doing?

Chiron struck when Luke was distracted, using his sword. He didn't get far, however, when Luke screamed out. Chiron went flying into a building and didn't come out.

Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia ran towards the rubble, looking for any sign of their teacher. When there was none, Annabeth looked up in anger.

"You!" Annabeth turned to Luke. "To think that I…that I thought-"

Annabeth drew her knife, making Nico smirk slightly. What chance did she think she had?

She ran up to Luke, slicing at his chest with her dagger. Nothing was accomplished but her bouncing back, holding her shoulder.

Percy grabbed her quickly, pulling her back.

"I hate you!" she screamed, crying.

"I have to fight him." Percy told her.

"It's my fight, too!" Annabeth screamed before breaking free. She breathed heavily, facing Luke.

Percy immediately got in front of her. He was so close, close enough for one quick kill…

Nico stepped into the shadows, reappearing behind Percy. Immediately, the boy turned around, finding the gun to his forehead. Nico held the gun up to the boy's head, his expression cold as he gazed at him. "Go home or never see the light of day again."

Inside, however, Nico's chest was about to explode with emotions. Could he really kill this boy? Yes, he realized, he could. He had killed before.

"Percy!" a woman tried to fight her way through the now silent soldiers as they watched the scene. "Percy!"

The boy in front of him, Percy Jackson, glanced over at her. He spoke quietly, his eyes shinning with an unknown light. "I'll be okay, mom." he then turned to Nico. "I'm not giving up anytime soon. Nico, you should see why. You of all people should want to protect fami-"

"Shut up!" Nico hissed, digging the barrel deeper into the his forehead. "You mention her even once and I'll blow your brains across the pavement."

"You wouldn't." Percy replied.

"Want to bet?" Nico fingered the trigger. "Kronos wants you dead, and so do I."

"Son of Hades, back down." Luke ordered, stepping forward. "That's my kill."

"Funny, you said it was mine." Nico glanced at him before turning to Percy. "You knew I was a son of Hades, didn't you?"

Percy bit his lip. "I had suspicions. Nico, listen to me, you don't know what you're doing."

"I don't?" Nico asked. "To me, I'm about to kill you. What is it for you?"

"Nico, you don't want to kill me." Percy pleaded, staring in his eyes. "All I'm trying to do is protect the people I love."

"Yet you couldn't protect my person, could you?"

Percy's face filled with guilt. "Nico, she died to save us. You have to believe that. It was her choice. And knowing her-"

"You didn't know her."

"She would be ashamed of you to doing this." Percy continued. "Ashamed that you're aided Kronos-"

"Luke."

"While trying to take down hundred of people. How is that good? It's evil, Nico."

"It's revenge." Nico corrected.

"For what? Letting your sister be a hero?"

Nico bit his lip. "Me, doing this, makes me a hero. So let me be a hero."

"This makes you a villain." Percy looked at him sadly. "Minos really brainwashed you."

Nico scowled. "How did you know about Minos?"

"I had dreams, Iris messages. Bianca wanted me to stop it before-"

"Enough!" Kronos yelled. "Son of Hades, get over here."

Nico bit his lip, looking in Percy's eyes. He was innocent, Nico realized. He had done nothing wrong.

Nico put his lips to Percy's ear. "His Achilles spot. It's a small piece under his left arm."

Nico drew back, putting the gun down. "Sorry, Luke. I wasn't thinking."

The shot rang out across the area, making Nico stagger on his feet. Looking down, he watched his side fill with blood. When he put his gaze back up, he saw Annabeth and the smoking gun in her hands. "Get away from him."

"Annabeth, don't." Percy commanded, looking at Nico sadly. "Don't hurt him."

"Son of Hades! Over here!" Luke yelled, gripping his scythe. "Or I'll be the one to kill you."

Nico put a hand to his side, trying to feel for any skin left. Not finding any, he looked up at Luke with his last bits of energy. "Sorry, I only follow Percy now."

He heard the gasps of shock before his eyes shut, passing out for the hundredth time.


	7. Chapter 7

Nico opened his eyes wearily, pain flashing through his body. It took a second to remember, but when he did, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He had held a gun up to their hero's head. Of course they would shoot him.

"How are you feeling?"

Nico looked over, seeing the same blond that was crying over that little girl's body. Now he looked weary and tired, looking Nico over.

Nico opened his mouth, wincing in pain. His side flared to the point of passing out, making him fight to even keep his eyes open.

"It hurts…" he admitted, looking around. He was in some kind of Infirmary, everything white and clean. A few patients were around him, but it was mostly empty.

"Yeah, it's going to hurt for awhile." the boy answered. "I'm Will Solace, by the way. Son of Apollo."

Nico nodded, looking at his side.

Will bit his lip, looking weary but trying not to show it. "Want some food? Chiron said I can walk you down to the Dinning Pavilion."

Nico looked up at him, trying to get his vision to work correctly. "No,"

Will frowned immediately. "What?"

"No," Nico said again, closing his eyes. "Just give me some medicine and knock me out."

"You need to eat." Will protested. "We've been tube feeding you."

Nico frowned, opening his eyes. "How long have I been out?"

"A couple months." Will admitted. "We had some suspicions of brain death. We moved your arms and stuff for you so they wouldn't get too stiff, but you need real food and real exercise."

"No, thanks." Nico closed his eyes. "Now, leave me alone."

"Trust me, I wish I could, but I'm not aloud to." Will replied, sitting in a chair next to him.

"Why's that?" Nico grumbled. "Scared I'm going to go psycho killer?"

"Honestly, yes." Will glared slightly at him. "You were on Kronos' side."

" _Luke's_."

"Excuse me?"

"I was on Luke's side." Nico corrected. "Not Kronos'."

"It's the same thing." Will looked at him in confusion.

"No, it's not."

Will frowned but didn't press it. "Would you eat if I got food brought here?"

Nico nodded. "Defiantly. So get this tube out of my nose."

Will sighed, turning to another blonde girl. "Penny, will you go get him something to eat?"

Penny looked at Nico nervously before nodding. "What do you want?"

"Anything," Nico sat up, wincing.

Penny nodded, setting down a surgical tray before rushing out.

"She's a child of Apollo, like you?" Nico asked.

Will nodded, checking the bandages on his side. "One of the only ones left."

"What happened to the others?" Nico glanced down at him, blushing from how close they were.

Will didn't seem to notice, using medical tape to make sure the bandages didn't come off. "A lot died in the Battle of Manhattan. Other than that, we lost a little one awhile back. Found her dead by the woods."

Nico bit his lip, immediately feeling guilty. "What happened to her?"

Will shrugged. "We still don't know. She had no injuries, no heart problems. She was just…dead." he looked down, tears coming to his eyes. "It was like her heart just decided to quit."

Nico looked away, not knowing why he felt so guilty. Her death was for his gain, so it was okay. It was for a reason. Still, he felt dirty for having even thought about doing it.

"Anyways," Will said loudly, wiping his eyes. "You're doing really good, especially with the extent your body was in when we got you."

Nico frowned. "I was told it was from using my powers so much."

Will put the medical tape in his pocket, standing back up. "Yeah, which is why you are to go another month without using any powers."

"That's a month wasted!" Nico protested before he even knew what he was saying. After a second, however, he frowned. "No, Minos isn't here. No more wasted time."

Will frowned, watching him.

Nico looked up at him. "If I don't use my powers, will they go away?"

Will shook his head. "No, why? Who told you that?"

Nico didn't answer, looking down at his hands. "Than I guess a month is okay."

Will sat next to him on the bed. "Are you ready to talk about what happened?"

Nico frowned, snapping his head up to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you join Kronos?"

Nico glared at him. " _Luke_."

Will sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Why did you join Luke?"

Nico bit his lip, looking away. "That's none of your business."

"Again, I was told to find out." Will answered. "Chiron wants to know why."

"He's alive?" Nico asked in shock.

Will nodded. "Only suffered a couple broken bones."

Penny came back in then, setting a tray in front of Nico before leaving quickly.

Nico frowned. "Is she scared of me?"

Will nodded, getting off the bed. "Everybody is. Eat up."

"Why are they scared of me?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" Will glanced at him, organizing a cart.

"B-But I said I was on Percy's side." Nico stuttered.

"After you tried to kill him." Will added before sighing, turning to him. "Look, if you want their trust, than earn it."

Nico nodded slightly, looking down at his plate. "Are you scared of me?"

Will didn't answer, turning back around. "Tell me when you're done eating." 


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

The next couple of weeks in the Infirmary were the longest—yet most relaxing—days Nico had had in awhile. The last time he remembered feeling that good was when Bianca was still alive, which was a time he tended to stop himself from thinking about. If he didn't think about her when she was alive, he didn't have to think about her death. Even if it had been over a year, the wound was still fresh and deep.

Will Solace turned out to be a really good person, even if he was scared of Nico. He would always (without being asked) bring him food, make sure he stayed hydrated, and kept his side from being infected. Yeah, it was his job, but Nico still felt touched. Subconsciously, he started to hope that maybe he wasn't doing it just because it was his job. Maybe he was doing it because they could be friends, which was still highly unlikely in Nico's mind.

His wound stayed painful, however, and his body still fought even the slightest movements. No matter what he tried to do─just laying there included─pain was involved. Will said his body was healing nicely, but Nico had a feeling he was lying. Because if he had been telling the truth, shouldn't he have been out of the Infirmary by now?

Nico woke one day close to the start of summer, opening his eyes drowsily. At first, everything seemed like it always was, but then his vision was clear. Blinking slightly, Nico lay in shock for a second before smiling softly. How long had it been since he had seen clearly? A couple months?

Coughing slightly, he sat up against the headboard, putting a hand to his side. As he looked around, he noticed that Will wasn't there. Even though there was no other patients, Will was _always_ there.

Nico scoffed, looking down at his blanket in disappointment. Then he grew angry with himself for feeling disappointed. He knew he shouldn't have started caring for Will, but he did anyway. He got himself attached to a person that looked at him like the traitor he was. Just like Minos had said, he was stupid. A stupid, little boy.

Nico threw the blanket off him, wincing as he poked at the bandages on his side. They were slightly bled through, but that wasn't uncommon. The pain wasn't that bad, however, so he labeled it as a good day. Those rarely came, but when they did, he spent them trying to stand up on his own.

He only succeeded once before falling right back down. Will had explained it to him, but he didn't care to remember it perfectly. All he knew was that when Annabeth stabbed him, she messed up a lot of muscles and tendons. Will wasn't a surgeon, so he had tried his best, but that whole side of his body was going to be weak for awhile, if not forever. Nico had spent that day cursing Annabeth with anything he could think of.

Nico bit his lip before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, holding himself up with his arms. He looked around one last time to make sure there was no one there before pushing himself up, leaning against the bed frame.

But he was standing.

Nico laughed in surprise, putting most of his weight on his good side. Using the wall and tables, he started to hobble away from his bed before looking around at the supplies. Everything was clean and sterile, put away specifically in white colored cabinets.

It made Nico sick.

He finally spotted what he was looking for, his eyes lighting up in relief. He spent another ten minutes getting over there, but when he finally did, he picked the crutch up and used it on his bad side.

Nico bit his lip at the pain but kept the crutch, since he could walk with it. Using it, he slowly made his way to the exit. When he peeked his head outside, he felt the outdoor air and the heat of the sun. It would be a hot day, that much was certain even though it was early in the day. He hated the heat, but he really couldn't change it. So he made sure no one was around before stepping out.

He looked around, frowning when he realized how empty the camp looked. It was the beginning of summer, so all the new kids should have been coming in. Where were they all?

Why did he care? They weren't his friends, nor did they care about him. Why would he care about them? He didn't. He didn't even know them. The only ones he even remotely knew were Percy and Will, and even then he barely knew anything. He knew their names and identities, but he didn't know _them._

He started to move towards the Big House, sighing in relief when he started to hear noised from the sword arena and the likes. They were training, that's all. Why had he been so worried?

Because Will Solace didn't train. That boy spent every available minute in the Infirmary, cleaning and checking supplies. Sometimes, he stood at the doors just in case someone was bringing another in. He was never absent from his post. Never.

 _Maybe he finally got sick of me,_ Nico thought. _It wouldn't be a first._

Getting to the Big House was horribly painful, but he managed. By the time he got there, his side ached and he was bleeding through the bandages. Ignoring this, he entered to find the main room empty. Sounds escaped from somewhere further in, however, so he moved towards them.

"I think we should just keep Capture the Flag." Percy's voice rang out as Nico stood outside the rec room. "Everyone loves it."

"Healers hate it." Will replied, his voice tight and strained.

"You're just upset you're away from the Infirmary." Percy shot back.

Nico found himself sighing in relief, leaning against the wall. Will hadn't abandoned him.

"Because there's no one else staffing it." Will replied. "And Capture the Flag causes a lot of injuries. I think since we just got through the war, we should have something more relaxing."

"This is a demigod camp-"

Nico sighed, opening the door. Immediately, all eyes turned to him and the atmosphere turned cold. The first one to react was Will.

Jumping up, he ran to Nico. "What the Hades are you doing up?! You should be laying down. We were going to start physical therapy in a couple months."

Nico looked at him for a second before leaning against the wall. "I'm aloud to walk, Solace. Instead of lecturing me about standing, why don't you find me a place to sit?"

Chiron smiled softly at him. "Son of Hades, come over here. You are just as needed in this meeting as the others."

Nico nodded slightly, trying to ignore the glares and wearing looks. It took a couple minute to get over there, but when he did, he sat in the chair next to Chiron. Will Solace sat next to him, looking him over worriedly.

"You're still here?" Annabeth asked, holding Percy's hand tightly.

Nico scowled at her. "I haven't been able to move out of my bed. How did you expect me to leave?"

"Enough." Chiron's tail flickered nervously. "I won't have my students fighting."

"He's your student now?"

"All demigods are my students, Ms. Chase." Chiron replied evenly. "Nico may be a very powerful one, but he is still a demigod. He is still entitled to everything you are."

Annabeth pursed her lips, gazing at Nico. "Why did you try to kill Percy?"

"Why did you try to kill me?" he shot back, biting his lip. His vision was starting to blur again, the pain radiating through him.

"Because you tried to kill my boyfriend."

"You stabbed me after I told him how to defeat Luke."

The others froze at this, looking at Percy. The son of Poseidon had his head down, gazing at the table.

"That's what he told you, when he whispered in your ear?" Annabeth asked in shock.

"You didn't tell them?" Nico asked. "I thought you would have."

Percy looked up, speaking for the first time since Nico had gotten there. "No, I didn't tell them. I didn't think it was important. I don't know much about how Nico got on that side in the battle, but I know enough to trust him. You should, too."

Nico froze in surprise, looking Percy up and down. That was the last thing he expected, and according to the others' faces, they were also shocked.

"We have worse problems then justifying the son of Hades." one of the daughters of Ares cut in. "We still haven't figured out why Penny dropped dead."

Will immediately tensed up, looking down at his hands sadly.

Nico glanced at him before faking confusion. "What happened?"

"A couple months ago, we found a young daughter of Apollo by the woods. Dead." the girl replied. "She had no signs of heart failure or wounds or anything like that. She was just...dead."

Nico carved patterns into the table with his fingernails. "Were there any others like this?"

"No, but there have been some on the streets of New York." Annabeth spoke up, standing up and putting a couple newspapers in front of him. "You're Death. See if you can figure it out."

Nico nodded, looking at the pictures. All of them were his victims, their blank eyes staring up at him. "All were found under the same circumstances?"

Annabeth nodded.

"It says they all died at night." Nico skimmed the papers. "When was the daughter of Apollo killed?"

"Middle of the day." Will said, biting his lip. "Found her by the woods."

"The woods..." Nico acted like he was thinking, looking through the pictures. He finally looked up at them. "So the killer is a coward."

"You think it's a murderer and not an epidemic?" Annabeth asked curiously.

Nico nodded. "They were found at night when the murderer could hide in darkness. For the daughter of Apollo, the murderer could have hidden in the woods."

"That's the same conclusion Annabeth came across." Chiron smiled knowingly. "You two will be the team that puts this together."

Nico paled. "W-What?"

Annabeth nodded. "I needed someone who thought like me. You're the only one here that does. And you have access to the Underworld, in case we need to talk to the dead. You can do that, right?"

"When I'm stronger." Nico admitted before sighing. "Fine, okay. But knowing Solace, we'll have to work in the Infirmary because he won't let me leave."

"That's right." Will agreed. "Most days you can't sit up. How am I supposed to let you go wandering around camp?"

"I just did." Nico defended.

"With a crutch, probably on a good day." Will replied.

Nico nodded slightly. "Fine."

"I'll come over there after breakfast each morning." Annabeth told him, taking the papers back. "Keep your mind thinking about possibilities."

Nico nodded, wincing when he felt Will's hand on his side. Looking over, he watched the blond examine the bandages. After a minute, Will looked up with a frown. "I need to take you back and restitch this. You must have blown the staples when you walked here."  
"I'm fine." Nico dismissed him, turning to Chiron. "Is there anything else this meeting is about?"

Chiron gave him a weary smile. "Go with Will. We can fill both of you in later, but you need to rest up."

"I'm fine. Just a little blood and pain. Nothing new." Nico swept his hair out of his face.

Chiron sighed heavily. "Okay, son of Hades."

"So, new demigods are going to be coming in." Annabeth started. "Which will mean the need for new cabins. So far, the only ones we need to build is the Hypnos and Hades cabins-"

"I'll build my own." Nico cut in.

"You're not strong enough." Will glared at him. "You can barely walk."

"I won't be directly building it." Nico replied, rolling his eyes. "I've got helpers."

Chiron cleared his throat. "Okay. Let the son of Hades build his cabin. Annabeth, when he's ready, show him the land that he will use."

Annabeth nodded. "But the murders come first?"

Chiron sighed. "Yes, since he'll be in the Infirmary for awhile, anyways."

"Wait, he's been here since the battle?" Percy asked. "And he's still healing?"

"Where else would you like me to go?" Nico asked. "I don't think dad would be very kind to me at the moment."

"And his whole left side is messed up." Will cut in. "I had to rebuild some tendons and veins."

"We know of your great sacrifice." Nico said sarcastically. "It was a shame to have the son of Apollo as the doctor."

"Shut up. Doctor's orders." Will blushed in embarrassment.

Chiron looked at them all before leaning back in his wheelchair. "Meeting dismissed. Di Angelo, back to the Infirmary."

Nico scowled, looking down at his lap. Were they just going to keep him cooped up in there forever? He needed the healing, and he knew that, but he still hated it. Others saw him not only as the traitor, but as the weakling. The one that couldn't even walk to breakfast.

"Let's go," Will stood up, helping his patient into a standing position. "We need to stitch you back up."

"Can I get more ambrosia?" Nico asked, letting him lead him away. He didn't know why, but something about Will Solace calmed him. He stopped his worries and fears.

Will nodded. "Just a little. You've had a lot lately."

Nico nodded, wincing again as they walked. He was aware of the blood running down his side, staining the grass. He tried to ignore it, looking forward. He could do this. He had done so much more. He had to just get to the Infirmary.

Were those his goals from now on? Just to walk without passing out?


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

Annabeth came by later that day, letting herself into the Infirmary. Ignoring Will's greeting, she came up to Nico's bed and sat on the end. "Sit up."

Nico gazed at her for a second before looking down at his new stitches. "I can't. They'll come undone."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Sit up, di Angelo."

Nico sighed heavily, sitting up against the headboard and pulling his legs toward him. "If I bleed out, I'm blaming you."

"Do I look like I care?" Annabeth replied bitterly before sighing. "Look, I'm sorry. I've been going through a lot of stress. Can we forget about the past?"

Nico looked at her in shock before making his face unreadable again. "Of course. I've already forgiven."

Annabeth smiled softly at him before moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have you thought of any other idea on those deaths?"

Nico nodded. "They have to be supernatural. Power-caused. No regular human could do that, especially since there wasn't even a spot where a shot went in."

"That's what I thought." Annabeth agreed. "But I've been researching it and I haven't found anything that could link to it."

"Have you thought about if it's out of the Greek powers?" Nico asked softly.

Annabeth frowned, obviously disturbed by the question. "I know it's Greek. I have a feeling. And only Greek deities can come into the camp, including the forest. Whatever killed Penny was Greek."

Nico frowned, trying to think of something else to say. What else could he say? All he could do was keep the suspicion away from him, but would that cause Annabeth to suspect him? Was that her plan and she just wanted to see how he would react?  
"I wouldn't rule out children of the Big Three while you do your research." Nico finally said after a couple minutes of silence. "There's Percy, Thalia, and I, but that doesn't mean there can't be more. I mean, Percy and Thalia are technically illegal."

"Illegal isn't the right word." Annabeth looked down, biting her lip as she thought. "But you've got the right thinking. If a child of the Big Three was hidden away so we didn't know about, they could easily be causing this."

"But then you think the gods would know about them." Nico admitted. "So that idea is flawed."

"But it's an idea. I haven't been able to think of anything."

"What is the power of each demigod child of the Big Three?" Will interrupted, having been listening in.

"That we know of? Percy can control water, breathe under water, and survive any fall that ends in water." Annabeth started. "Thalia can control lightning. Nico..." she looked at him. "What can you do? Percy mentioned talking to the dead."

Nico nodded, starting to feel uncomfortable. "I can speak to and raise the dead, travel anywhere in the Underworld, summon obsidian of any size, shadow travel, and can feel and see souls."

"Souls..." Annabeth muttered, starting to write on a paper quickly. "Souls are the spiritual or immaterial part of a human, the perfect essence of who we really are. Without souls, are bodies would be nothing."  
Nico tried to hide his nerves as he wiped his palms on his hospital pants. "What are you thinking?"

Annabeth stood up quickly. "I have to talk to Chiron!"

Nico frowned but nodded. "Glad I could be of assistance?"

Annabeth didn't seem to hear him, running out of the Infirmary.

"I hope you figures it out." Will said wistfully, gazing at the doors. "It's been unsolved for far too long."

Nico swept his eyes over Will's sad form before looking down at his stitches. "Will?"

Will turned to face him. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Nico looked up at him, dark eyes boring into blue.

Will nodded, looking somewhat nervous. "Of course. What is it?"

"Were you and Penny, the fallen daughter of Apollo, close?"

Will froze slightly, turning away. "Yeah," his voice was heavy, thick with emotion. "What's it to you?"

Nico couldn't stop the guilt that erupted from his chest, circling around his brain. Look what he had done. Killed an innocent little girl, caused Will pain. What had he been thinking? "Sorry, I was just wondering."

"She was my little sister. What did you expect?" Will clenched his fists, starting to clean a supply cart.

Nico bit his lip, not used to Will acting this angry. "Who do _you_ think killed her?"

Will turned to him, glaring at him. "Honestly?"

Nico nodded. "I need to know, to help Annabeth with the investigation."

"I think it was you." Will replied bluntly. "I wouldn't be surprised, nor would anybody else at this camp. Including Chiron. You're the son of Hades and you stand for death. You told us you can control souls, so that's probably what Annabeth is on to. And you tried killing Percy Jackson multiple times. Acted like you killed before. I know how to read someone, Nico. And I know what guilt looks like. So will you just leave me alone?"

Nico stared at him for a second, trying to get his thoughts together. He finally opened his mouth, taking a second to think. "You've thought that this whole time and still nursed me?"

"Duh," Will came up to him, checking his side. "I'm a healer. It's who I am. What did you expect me to do? Leave you to die?"

"Actually, yes." Nico admitted. "I expected to wake up in a dungeon, more than anything. But that was if I woke up at all. I've been really close to death lately."

"I can tell." Will commented. "You've been using too much of your powers. Why's that? What power is it that kills people?"

"I have a lot of powers, Will. And I'm very powerful because of who my dad is. I've been told I'm more powerful than Percy Jackson. Does that scare you enough to leave me alone?" Nico laid back, turning away from Will.

"It scares me that you're still threatening. Are you really on our side?" Will asked.

"Of course I am." Nico answered after a second. "I have no where else to go."

"Nor do you have anyone else." Will agreed. "You're lonely and you act like we owe you because of that. We didn't kill your sister. She did that all by herself. So if that's why you killed my sister, I hope you're sorry. I hope you regret it every day of every year."

"I won't even last more than one year." Nico muttered.

"So you admit to killing her."

"I never said that."

"You never said otherwise."

Nico closed his eyes. "I'm done talking to you, Will Solace."

"I'm not done talking." Will moved so he was facing him. "You're going to do something for me, since you killed her."

Nico rolled his eyes under his closed lids but didn't do anything else.

"When you're stronger, you're going to go to the Underworld and ask her if she's alright." Will ordered. "You're going to see if she's in Elysium. And you're going to tell her that I love her, got it?"

"When did you start being my boss?" Nico asked, keeping his eyes closed as his body relaxed.

"When I became your doctor." Will walked off, his whole body showing sadness deep within. Nico didn't see, however. He only heard the anger in the others voice.

Nico scoffed. Will Solace was mad at him, after all. Why was he so surprised?

Yet, another thought was the one that kept him awake that night. If Will knew, would he tell the others? And when he did, would Nico be kicked out?

After all, no one wanted to live with a murderer.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

Chiron came in to see him later that day, wheeling beside his bed. His face looked more aged than usual, every fiber of his being showing weariness. "Son of Hades, can I talk to you?"

Nico looked at him for a second before sitting up, wincing slightly. "Yeah,... Did Annabeth come to talk to you?"

Chiron nodded. "So we're going over _all_ of your powers right now, okay? And I'll know if you're not honest."

Nico nodded. "I might have more I haven't learned yet."

"And I respect that." Chiron agreed. "Tell me the ones you have so far. And explain what each do."

"Shadow travel." Nico started, looking down at his hands. "All shadows are connected. Since they all answer to me, I can use them as a gateway to anywhere."

Chiron nodded. "Very useful. You used that in the Battle of Manhattan?"

Nico nodded. "I know the power you want to talk about. Do you just want to skip to it?"

Chiron frowned. "No. I need to know what else you're capable of. You understand."

"I can raise obsidian. That's what I'm going to make my cabin out of." Nico played with his blanket, feeling like a scared child again. "I can feel when someone dies. That's why there's always this constant buzzing. If it's someone I know, the buzzing is much louder. Through dreams, I can see where they go for their afterlife."

Chiron nodded. "That can be useful. If someone dies in a war game, you set up the flair to end the game."

"And watch as everyone blames me for the death." Nico finished. "Not really psyched about that."

Chiron sighed heavily. "What else?"

"I can raise the dead. Talk to g-ghosts." Nico blocked Minos from his mind, closing his eyes before reopening them. "Unless dad calls for certain acceptations. The last thing is souls. I can feel them, sense them. By this I can tell if someone's dying, I can tell if they're healthy. And I can also kill."

"Explain how you kill using this." Chiron narrowed his eyes, rubbing his chin.

"I can rip their soul out of their body, send it to the Underworld. I was going to do it to Percy Jackson during the Battle of Manhattan but he changed my mind."

"You practiced by killing others." Chiron summoned up. "Including Penny and the mortals on the streets of New York."

Nico nodded slowly, talking quietly. "Yeah..."

Chiron put a hand on his shoulder. "I can see the good in you, Nico. And I believe in you. I won't tell anyone else of this conversation."

Nico sighed in relief, nodding. "Thank you,"

"A warning..." Chiron glared at him. "If I find anybody dead like Penny was, you will be out of here so fast it will make your head spin."

Nico nodded. "Understood."

Chiron looked at him one last time before wheeling out, leaving him alone with a quiet Will Solace.

"Yell at me now. Because I want to sleep soon." Nico closed his eyes.

Will didn't answer, walking out.

Nico sighed, opening his eyes to watch him go before glaring at the ceiling. Sure, Chiron wouldn't tell anybody about their talk, but would Will?

Nico clenched his fists, his anger boiling up. Why had he gotten so comfortable? Of course, they would end up making him leave. Everybody did.

Will Solace...

Nico ripped his blanket off, throwing it to the ground before pulling his shirt up. He would make Will feel guilty about leaving, because it was the only thing he could do.

He took a deep breath before unwrapping his side, looking down at it before starting to pull the staples out. Pain immediately made him want to throw up, but he continued until unstopped blood was running down his side.

 _Perfection,_ Nico thought.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

"What in Hades were you thinking?!"

Will's face appeared in his vision, everything but his hair blurry. Nico kept his eyes on the golden halo, smiling softly to himself.

"Di Angelo, you don't get to die. Got it?" next was Percy, his sea green eyes full of worry. "You're only, what, twelve?!"

"It doesn't matter! Move out of the way!" Will's voice shouted, his blond curls coming into sight again. "Nico, this might hurt. Hang in there for me."

Funny, for the first time in a year, he didn't hurt. Nothing felt bad while he was conscious, which was amazing for him. It was a breath of relief. Maybe he would almost die more often.

His vision finally cleared, the pain coming with it. His body jolted in surprise, Nico clenching the bed sheets.

"I know, it's going to hurt." Will sat next to him on the bed, wrapping his side. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I don't listen to doctors." Nico managed, looking around to see Percy and Annabeth. "What are they doing here?"

"Annabeth wants to talk to you." Will finished the wrap, putting an ice pack on it. "This should help with the swelling."

"What swelling?" Nico tried to sit up but his side didn't seem to respond.

"The swelling caused by pulling new staples out." Will glared at him slightly. "You side actually looks normal now, and that's saying something."

"Great. Isn't normal what we're going for?" Nico tried to sit up again but to no results.

"Shut up and lay back." Will commanded. "You're in no shape to have your usual attitude."

"Your just mad at me for-"

"Killing my sister? Yeah, people tend to get mad about that. So shut up and lay back before I put restraints on you." Will glared at him before walking to the other side of the Infirmary.

Percy looked shocked, but Annabeth remained neutral. Her gray eyes remained on him, talking in a low voice. "Thanks to you, we realized this case is hopeless. Or, that's as much as the rest of the camp will ever know. Understand?"

Nico nodded a little. "Thank you,"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Annabeth frowned at him again before grabbing Percy's arm. "Let's go."

Percy kept staring at Nico before letting his girlfriend pull him away, both of them leaving quickly.

Nico sighed, leaning back. Now the sea spawn knew...perfect. It was just what he needed. * **note sarcasm** *

The rest of that day past by like any other, Will avoiding Nico as much as possible. He did have him on 24/7 suicide watch from pulling out the stitches, however, so Nico was soon put in restraints. That made him even moodier than he already was, which was saying something.

He fell asleep late that night, his dreams taking him somewhere for the first time since Bianca died.

 _At first, he was in the Poseidon cabin, standing over Percy's bed. The boy slept peacefully with drool running down his face, only the eerie light from his fountain getting in his eyes every once in awhile._

 _But he did not wake._

 _Nico sighed, looking around. There had to be a reason for him being there, but right now, everything seemed okay. After awhile, he started to feel like a creeper. Who just watched people sleep? Apparently, whatever god was in charge of his dreams liked the show. Okay, this was definitely getting more stalkerish._

 _Percy started to mumble in his sleep, his facial expressions becoming disturbed. Every so often, he would yell out for Annabeth._

 _Nico tried to talk but his words got ripped out of his throat before he could even say them. Looking down, Nico's body was no more than mist. That's when the panic really started settling in._

 _Percy started thrashing in his sleep, throwing the blankets aside. "Annabeth!"_

 _Nico frowned, trying to reach him but couldn't. Something was wrong, but nothing he could do could help. He was helpless._

 _"_ _Anna-" Percy's scream was cut off by a brilliant flash of light. Nico looked away in pain before looking back, finding the hero gone. His bed was made perfectly like nothing had happened, but it had._

 _Percy Jackson was gone._

Nico woke up while screaming, feeling his eyes turn red like they did when he was emotional. Trying to ignore it, hover, he fought to get out of the restraints. "Will! Annabeth! Anyone?!"  
Will came running in, backing away when he say his eyes. "N-Nico..."

Chiron was with him, the old man's face looking worried. "Son of Hades, what's wrong?"

"Something happened to Jackson!" Nico pulled at the restraints but they didn't give. "H-he was there but then he was gone and I swear I didn't do it."

Chiron frowned, glancing at Will. "Go get Annabeth."

Will nodded, running out.

"Chiron, I swear it wasn't me. I promise. There was a light and-"

Chiron held up his hand, silencing him. "Nico, quiet. We have much to talk about."

"So, he's really gone?" Nico asked. "It wasn't just a dream?"

"No, it wasn't just a dream."

Annabeth ran in, her hair flying behind her as she ran up to Nico's bed. "What do you know?!"

"Ms. Chase,"

"Nico, tell me!" Annabeth cut the old centaur off, looking at Nico hopefully. Her demeanor didn't change when she saw his eyes, nor when she saw how he kept puling at the restraints.

"I-I had a dream." he managed, his eyes going back to normal as he relaxed. "At first I was just watching him sleep."

Annabeth nodded. "What happened?"

"T-there was a light-"

"A godly power."

"And then he was gone." Nico finished. "Before, he was having nightmares. Calling your name."

Annabeth frowned, getting up. "I'm going to go ask Ms. Sally if she's seen him."

"Ms. Chase, you can't just venture out of camp-"

"Watch me." Annabeth growled. "Nico, you coming?"

Nico looked up in shock. "Huh?"

"You're a witness." Annabeth started to undo his restraints.

"An injured witness." Will argued weakly. "I know you want to find him, but you can't kill Nico doing so."

They both yelled out at the same time. "She won't kill me!" "I won't kill him!"

Will sighed weakly, not doing anything else.

Nico got his hands free once the restraints were off, rubbing his wrists.

"Let's go." Annabeth ordered.

"He can't even sit up, let alone walk. And he's not even dressed." Will stated.

"Then he'll get dressed. Where does Percy keep Mrs. O'Leary?" Annabeth asked.

Will sighed. "In the combat arena. But Nico-"

"Get dressed when I'm gone!" Annabeth called, running out.

Nico pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing. Looking around he grabbed his clothes off a nearby table. "Turn away."

Will sighed, pulling the curtain around his bed. "If you need help, let me know."

"Like I would." Nico scoffed, ripping the hospital shirt to get it off. He refused to look at his side, putting his new shirt on quickly. Ignoring the pain, he did the same with his pants.

"I'm ready." Nico stated. "Where are my shoes?"

Will pulled the curtain back. "Which ones?"

"My only pair. The ones I was wearing when you put me in this gods awful hospital." Nico swept some hair out of his eyes.

Will shrugged. "You're going to have to go barefoot."

"Perfect." Nico said sarcastically. "Now make yourself useful and get me a crutch."

Will rolled his eyes. "I still think this is a bad idea." he got Nico two crutches, handing them to him.

"Yeah, you made that perfectly clear." Nico stood up difficultly, fighting back the nausea from pain. "Where's Annabeth?"

"Right here!" she came in riding Mrs. O'Leary, a book bag slung over her shoulder. "Hop on."

Nico bit his lip, looking up at the hell hound. "How?"

"Be creative." Annabeth tapped her foot against the monster's side. "Just hurry up."

Nico nodded, taking a deep breath before raising some obsidian, making a sort of staircase. Once he finally got on Mrs. O'Leary's back, he almost collapsed against Annabeth.

She nodded, still frowning, before whispering something in Mrs. O'Leary's ear.

Then the world went black.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

Shadow traveling didn't seem like a good idea once it was over, yet Annabeth didn't seem to mind. While Nico puked up blood and mucus, she busied herself with telling him to hurry up.

"You're the one that hurt me in the first place!" he managed, wiping his face. "Half my side is gone!"

"Do I look like I care?" Annabeth asked. "Get moving."

He wiped his mouth one last time before using his crutches to stand. "Okay. I'm ready."

Annabeth nodded, stepping out of Percy's room. Since they had shadow traveled with Mrs. O'Leary, the dog took up most of the room, her tail hanging out the open window. Nico followed slowly, every step hurting worse than the first.

"Annabeth!" Sally ran down the hall, hugging the blonde. "How have you been?"

Annabeth smiled sadly at her. "Ms. Blofis, me and Nico need to talk to you."

"Nico..." Sally's eyes trailed to him. "He's the one that almost hurt Percy."

"Again, I didn't." Nico managed, biting his lip to not throw up again. "Can I sit down?"

Sally frowned, noticing his wound. "Of course," she lead them to the kitchen table, helping him sit. "Can I get anybody anything? I have some cookies ready and some iced tea."

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Blofis-"

"Sally."

"Sally, but I'm not in the mood. We came to ask you if Percy's stopped over." Annabeth finished, rubbing her eyes.

Sally shook her head. "Not since I sent him off in the beginning of summer...why? Did something happen?"

Annabeth sighed. "H-he left camp. He's gone."

Sally looked at her for a second before almost collapsing into a chair. "Y-you mean he disappeared?"

Annabeth nodded sadly.

"Well, what happened? Who took him?!" Sally's eyes started to water.

"We don't know. That's why we're looking." Annabeth explained, holding her hand tightly. "As soon as we get news, either good or bad, I'll let you know."

The woman nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. "Thank you."

Annabeth nodded, wiping her own eyes before standing up. "We have to get going, continue the investigation-"

"Mrs. O'Leary can't shadow travel again until tomorrow." Nico broke in. "She's too tired."  
Annabeth bit her lip, turning to face him. "You couldn't have told me this earlier?!"  
"Not without you yelling at me."

Annabeth groaned, laying her head on the table.

"You can stay here for the night." Sally offered, holding her hand tightly.

Annabeth shook her head. "We have to keep looking. That would be wasting time."

"How long do you think my injuries will let us look?" Nico asked in confusion. "Because I can barely walk down a hallway."  
"But you can shadow travel!" Annabeth yelled in excitement, standing up quickly. "Come on, take us back to camp. From there we'll split up. I'll take Blackjack and you'll shadow travel."

"Which will probably kill me." Nico finished. "You know how weak I am."

"And I also know how powerful you are." Annabeth grabbed his arm. "Bye, Ms. Sally."

"Bye, dear." Sally smiled at her softly. "Be careful. I don't want to lose you, too."

Annabeth nodded, turning to Nico. "Well? Hurry up."

Nico sighed. "Annabeth, I can't do it!"

"Nico!" she grabbed his shoulders, glaring into his eyes. For a minute, her anger dwindled down and all her sadness showed. Quickly, however, it changed back to wrath. "Take. Me. To. Camp. Half. Blood."

Nico glanced away, started to get a little scared of her, which made no sense. A son of Hades, scared of a child of Athena? Annabeth was making it possible, somehow, with all the emotions of losing Percy.

 _She must really love him,_ he thought. He then flash backed to when he lost Bianca, how he had hoped and prayed for anything that could change it. The pain of that...nobody deserved that. That's why, in that moment, he vowed to help Annabeth in any way he could.

"Okay, hold on tight." Nico instructed, grabbing his crutches. He felt Annabeth's hand tighten on his arm before he closed his eyes, drawing the shadows towards him. Before he knew it, he was laying in the Infirmary bed, Annabeth beside him.

She sprung up, handing him a pile of drachmas. "We'll contact each other wherever we go. I'll take closer places because I have Blackjack. You can look in other countries with your shadow travel."

Nico nodded. "I may pass out in between so if I don't answer, that's why. Just try again in a couple hours."

Annabeth nodded, her eyes lighting up with the way he agreed. "Sweet." she ran out but stopped at the door, turning to face him. "Nico?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I'm sorry for shooting you." she stated, her expression softening one last time before she ran out, her hair flying behind her.

For the first time, Nico found himself kind of liking Annabeth Chase.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

Looking for Percy seemed to be one of the hardest tasks Nico had ever done, and one of the only ones that had no solution. There was no leads, no evidence, and Percy Jackson could be found nowhere. He was simply...gone.

Part of Nico felt happy that the old hero was gone. The boy that killed Bianca finally got what he deserved. But then Nico remembered the day at the Battle of Manhattan, when he looked into those eyes. Percy was innocent, whether he wanted to believe that or not. Percy Jackson hadn't killed his sister, nor anybody else. And he didn't deserve what he was going through, whatever that was. He deserved to be happy with his girlfriend and everyone knew that. So why did Nico have such a hard time accepting it? Was hate really that hard to give up?  
Yes, it was. Hate had been the only thing moving Nico forward in those long, hard months of training. His deep hatred for Percy left it so that was the last thing he would ever do, even if it killed him. Now, he had no hate to keep him going on this search.

Most would use hope instead, but hope wasn't something that Nico was familiar with. Hope was, in fact, so foreign he barely remembered it existed. The others had hope, however, and they told him that every time he returned to Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth, especially, kept reminding him because that was all she could do. She was as stuck as him on this quest.

The only hope Nico could think of, however, was that Percy Jackson's soul never entered the Underworld, so he wasn't dead and he wasn't reborn. So he had to be _somewhere_ on Earth; maybe hurt or passed out or both. And they needed to find him before he did die.

But how could you look for somebody that was just gone?

Hades began talking to him again, showing him different things. One of these things was the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter. Nico didn't like to spend time there, but he dropped by every once in awhile to make sure they didn't run into the Greeks. That was why his father told him, after all.

Walking through the Underworld turned into his new favorite thing. There wasn't anyone around to whiteness his humiliation when his side gave out or the pain became to much, nor was there any monsters that would dare hurt him. Elysium's gates was one of his favorite points, but over and over he found himself walking through the Fields of Asphodel.

They were pretty, he had to admit, in their own gloomy way. The poplar trees were in just the right place, their branches hanging over the souls as they wandered with no destination.

Nico was walking through the Fields one day with only one crutch, his eyes paved to the ground. It had been another day of failure looking for Percy Jackson, and this time, he really felt like giving up. He was down with this stupid job, ready to go back to doing nothing. But every time he thought this, Annabeth would come to him with her pleading look and overworked eyes. But this time, Nico was done. It was impossible.

"You're different." a soft voice shook him out of his thoughts, making his head snap up towards the sound. A girl's spirit, no more than thirteen, was sitting under a tree with her hands in her lap. Her golden eyes studied him, landing on his side. "You're still alive."

Nico nodded. "I know." he began walking again, starting to become uncomfortable.

"How is that?" the girl asked curiously, standing up. "You shouldn't have been able to get passed the-"

"I'm the son of the ruler." Nico cut in. "The prince of this place. So I order you to leave me alone."

"Pluto is your father?" she smiled at him, stopping.

He shook his head. "No, Hades. Pluto is his Roman form." he looked back at her, starting to get curious. "Why doesn't that shock you?"

"Pluto was my father." she stated slowly, looking into his eyes. "I didn't know him much but he was my father."

Nico looked at her for a second before smiling, walking up to her. He held out his hand for her. "Come on."

"Huh?" she looked at him in confusion, her eyes lighting up with weariness.

"Come on." Nico repeated before his eyes softened. "You're my sister, so you deserve a second chance."

Her eyes widened when she realized what he meant. "B-but that's-"

"The Doors of Death are open." he stated, saying it for the first time. He closed his eyes slightly, frowning at the reality of that before turning to her. "It is possible. So let's go before anyone notices. Your name?"

"Hazel. Hazel Levesque." she answered, grabbing his hand tightly. Both siblings had skin as cold as ice, but neither seemed to mind.

Nico nodded, starting to lead her away. "I'm Nico di Angelo."

She smiled, leaning into him slightly. "Thank you for trying this, Nico di Angelo."

He smiled, trying to hide his limp. "My pleasure, Hazel Levesque."

He suddenly stopped, frowning. What was he going to do with her?

"You said you're Roman?" he finally asked.

She nodded. "Y-yeah..."

He nodded, continuing to walk again. "Okay. Let's get to Camp Jupiter."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

Hazel Levesque knew that her brother hid more than he let on, but she never pried. She knew, more than anyone, what it was like to have a horrible secret. She just hoped that this secret wasn't against her, but it seemed that way more every day.

He was a good brother, though. He always came to visit and see how she was doing, even the times when he looked like he would rather be anywhere else. He never raised his voice with her and kept her secret, but he also let her go her own way.

She tried to help him back, but he wasn't one to accept him. The only thing she could do was catch him and save him the embarrassment when his side gave out. She still wasn't sure what had happened, but his clothes showed a large indent where half his side should have been. He always had a limp, and most days he looked in pain.

Hazel wanted to ask what had happened to him, but she was afraid of what he would do. Nico had too many secrets. If she asked about the wrong one...

He was a ticking time bomb, waiting for the right words to make him explode. Everyone side stepped around him for this reason, even without realizing it. Talking with him was like walking on a live mine field.

She wanted to be closer to her brother, but this always kept them apart.

She was guarding with Frank Zhang, her best and only friend, when she saw the boy for the first time. He stumbled towards them with a woman in his arms, gorgons flying after him.

Frank cried out when he saw them, notching his bow. He shot one of the gorgons, but there was still too many.

Hazel gestured for the boy to hurry, no doubt in her mind that he was a demigod, and a powerful one at that. Nico taught her enough to know that. So if he could be an asset to them and help them find Jason...

The boy reached the door, breathing heavily. "Thanks,"

Hazel frowned, looking at him closely. Something was off...she knew him. "Frank, get them inside."

She could see Frank start to protest but she cut him off. "Go!"

He sighed, opening the door and running off with the boy.

Hazel's mind worked overtime as she collapsed the tunnel, trying to figure out what was going on. His orange shirt, dark hair, green eyes...Percy Jackson.

Immediately, she flash backed.

 _"_ _You know how to contact me." Nico summed up, both of them sitting on the top of the Pluto temple. "So I need to ask you a favor."_

 _"_ _Sure," Hazel replied, looking at him worriedly. Every one of his muscles were tensed, his face tight in pain. He wouldn't be staying long, he never did when it was that bad. "What is it?"_

 _"_ _One of my...friends are missing." Nico said carefully. "I've been trying to find him but can't. If you see him, you need to tell me."_

 _She nodded. "Okay...what does he look like?"_

 _"_ _Orange shirt. He'll be wearing an orange shirt. A bead necklace. He's got dark hair like me and green eyes." Nico described, staring off wistfully. "He's been gone for months. No trace of him."_

 _"_ _I-I'm sorry." Hazel managed, looking at him in shock. Nico didn't usually care for people, let alone miss them. There was something else going on._

 _"_ _If you find him, contact me privately. Nobody else can know I know him, alright?" he stared into her eyes. "Promise me that."_

 _"_ _I promise." she swore, nodding. "You can count on me."_

 _He nodded, smiling softly before disappearing into the shadows._

Hazel burst out of the tunnel, still running. This was Nico's friend. She had to keep him safe. "They won't stay back for long! We have to get across the river."

 _And then I have to talk to my brother_ , she added mentally.

Frank nodded, getting his bow ready. "Lead him across."

Hazel nodded, grabbing Percy's arm and leading him through. Once they got to the other side, Hazel sighed in relief, not caring that half of her was now soaking wet. She then turned to see Frank, her expression turning to worry. "Frank!"

She watched as he was grabbed by one of the gorgons, starting to get pulled into the air as he screamed out in pain. She was about to charge in to help when she looked over at Percy, watching as he thrust out his hands.

 _Nico has weird friends,_ she decided, watching as the water copied his movements. Before long, he had Frank free and the gorgons gone.

Hazel rushed to help Frank, leading him to shore. The other Romans who had come to help were silent, looking at Percy in awe.

"Well, that was a lovely trip." the woman in his arms broke the silence. "Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter."

"Percy...Jackson?" Reyna managed, looking at him in shock. Hazel frowned, watching her reaction. She also knew him. What was Nico not telling her?

The woman laughed. "Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together."

The woman then began to transform, taking everyone by surprise. By the time she looked like the goddess she was, those around her started to kneel.

"Juno..." Hazel also knelt.

"Juno, huh?" Percy Jackson was still standing. "If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?"

The goddess smiled. "In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet."

Juno then turned to the others, creating more shock than Hazel had ever seen on their faces. "Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake-"

Hazel frowned, remembering what Nico had said. _"_ _He's been gone for months. No trace of him."_

"His fate is in your hands." Juno continued. "The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"

She disappeared, leaving Hazel frowning at where she was. Percy Jackson was more than he let on, and only her and Reyna seemed to realize that.

She really needed to talk to Nico.

"So," Reyna broke the silence. "A son of Neptune who comes to us with the blessing of Juno."

"Look," he said. "My memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's _gone_ , actually. Do I know you?"

She hesitated briefly. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And...no, I don't know you."

 _Liar,_ Hazel thought, watching her carefully.

"Hazel, bring him inside." Reyna ordered. "I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. "'Decide what to do with' me?"

"Before we accept anyone into camp," Reyna started. "we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us a new recruit or if she's brought us an enemy to kill."

Hazel froze, the blood draining from her face. Nico...she couldn't let them kill his friend. Not when he was searching so fruitlessly for him. She needed to get Nico there before they killed him.

But how?


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

"Hey, I brought a friend!" Hazel's excited voice rang in his head as he turned around, freezing when he saw Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson...

Nico bit his lip, turning his face emotionless again. He nodded at the boy before glancing at Hazel.

"I know you..." Percy muttered, looking at him in confusion.

"Do you?" Nico's eyes widened in shock.

"Percy's lost his memory." Hazel explained. "I thought you wanted-"

"I'm going to be staying the night." Nico broke in, leaning against the temple. Today was one of his bad days, so he felt like laying down and not getting up. But since Percy was there...he had to handle this.

Hazel widened her eyes in surprise. "O-okay. Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course." Nico half glared at her before turning to Percy, holding his hand out. "I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto."

Percy shook his hand, still looking at him in confusion. "I really think I know you."

"Hazel!" Frank's voice stopped him from answering, the boy in question running up the hill. When he saw Nico, his smile dropped slightly. "Hey, Nico..."

Nico nodded at him, his hand twitching to go to his side. "Frank,"

Percy's expression immediately became worried. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Nico snapped, clenching his fists. "Don't ask that again."

Percy frowned, keeping his eyes on Nico's side. "Annabeth..."

Nico frowned, trying not to act weird. Hazel was looking at him knowingly, however. "What?"

Percy shook his head, as if clearing his brain. "I remember the name Annabeth. Your side reminded me of her for some reason."

Nico laughed without humor before he could stop himself, turning it into a scoff.

Frank looked at him oddly before turning to Percy. "Nico's probably here to talk to Hazel. Why don't we leave them alone?"

Percy nodded slowly. "Alright. Nico, can I talk to you later?

Nico nodded a little.

Percy nodded in acceptance but still kept his eyes on him, eventually walking off with Frank.

As soon as they left, Nico sat down, biting his lip in pain.

Hazel sat beside him, not saying anything for a second before running a hand through her hair. "Why do you act like you don't know him?"

Nico sighed heavily, playing with his hands. "Hazel, there's important things at work here. Knowing he's here also let's me know that he can't know who I am or who he is. And you have to promise me not to tell anyone that I know him."

Hazel nodded, glancing away. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"I can't." Nico admitted. "I'm sorry. But if I told you, it could ruin everything."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "But you can know? Seriously, Nico, what's with all these secrets?"

Nico scowled at her, clenching his side in pain. "Just leave it be."

"I can't. This is scaring me. Percy's not a son of Neptune, is he? Is he like you? You said you were a son of Ha-"

"Shut up!" Nico hissed, covering her mouth. "Don't ever say that out loud again."

She looked at him in fear, her eyes starting to water.

Nico pulled his hand back, standing up difficultly. "I'm going to go look for the Doors of Death. As you've probably heard, they're open."

Hazel frowned. "You just said you were staying the night."

"Not anymore. I can't accidentally slip something to you." Nico explained, fingering the hilt of his sword. "So I'm going to get going. If I find them, I'll let you know."

Hazel nodded a little, hugging him. "Please, be careful."

Nico nodded into her, not hugging her back. "I'll try."

She frowned a little, pulling back. "O-okay,..."

"Take care of Percy for me. Stay with him." Nico ordered. "If he goes on a quest, you also go."

"Why would he be going on a quest?" Hazel asked in confusion.

Nico sighed, shaking his head. "Can you handle that or not?"

Hazel nodded a little. "I'll watch him."

"Good. Bye." Nico started to gather shadows closer to him.

"Bye," Hazel replied quietly, watching him go before letting her tears fall. Each day he became meaner, each day the bags under his eyes got worse. What was going on with him?

Nico dragged himself to a tree as soon as he landed, looking down at his side in pain. After a couple of minutes, he passed out from exhaustion.

The same dream he had been having for weeks happened again.

 _Nico was standing on a hill, his body still as he watched Camp Half-Blood go up in flames. He started laughing, unable to stop himself as he watched the demigods get dragged into the fire._

 _"_ _See? This can all be yours."_

 _The female voice spoke in his mind, the ground below him starting to move._

 _"_ _All you have to do is join me."_

 _"_ _N-No," Nico managed, his laughter finally stopping._

 _"_ _I would end all your pain. Give you a new life. A better life."_

 _"_ _That doesn't sound very promising." Nico watched as Will Solace got pulled to the middle of the camp, his body catching on fire._

 _"_ _You have a lot of pain to come." the woman said again. "Too much for one to handle."_

 _"_ _Too bad. I'm not joining your royal nutcase."_

 _The ground started to crumble at his feet, a large chasm opening. Nico's heart started to speed up, not remembering this from his past dreams._

 _"_ _Will you join me now?"_

 _Nico's feet slipped, sending him head first into the blackness. Looking up, the chasm closed above him and the air turned poisonous._

 _"_ _Your sister is my pawn, walking right into my trap."_

 _Nico struggled to breathe, grabbing his throat. "You bi-"_

 _"_ _What's it going to be, son of Hades? A life of pain for you and your sister, or an easy, long life?"_

 _"_ _Let my sister go!" he kicked his legs, struggling to wake himself up. "She isn't a thing! You can't own her!"_

 _The woman's laugh rumbled around him, starting an earthquake. "Silly boy..."_

 _Nico closed his eyes, starting to cry in desperation. "Leave her alone!"_

 _"_ _Your decision..."_

He snapped awake, his body shaking as he looked around. He was still in the same park, the sun starting to rise over the trees. It was empty, but Nico still felt unsettled.

He bit his lip, preparing to shadow travel again. He knew, without a doubt, where those Doors were.

He just needed to evidence.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

Nico finished packing his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before grabbing his crutch. He then used a mirror and mist from his bathtub to create a rainbow, tossing a golden drachma in. "Isis, please accept my offering. Show me Annabeth Chase."

The from flickered before showing Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood, eating dinner with her table. Her hair was a mess, her clothes dirty, and her eyes were surrounded by dark circles. Overall, she looked exhausted, but she immediately perked her head up at Nico.

"I'm in my room in the Underworld." he started off. "I just checked England. No signs."

Annabeth visibly deflated. "Oh,... Where are you going next?"

"Through the Underworld." Nico admitted. "I think I know where the Doors of Death are. I'm going to go scope it out."

Annabeth frowned. "So you're just going to give up looking for Percy?! Just like that?!"

Nico sighed heavily, starting his web of lies. "I can feel his soul. It's not hurt, not damaged, not dead, not reborn. He's fine for right now, so don't worry. I have death stuff to do so I have to do that. I'll let you know when I'm done."

"Listen to the son of Hades." Chiron spoke up. "The Doors of Death must be closed."

Annabeth bit her lip. "At least look for Percy on the way."

"He wouldn't be in the Underworld."

"You're still going to look, got it? If not I'll take out your other side and sell your kidney on Ebay-"

"Annabeth." Chiron trotted over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "No threats. He'll look."

Nico nodded. "I will."

She nodded a little, letting out a breath. "Okay... I'm going to go check with Sally again."

"Annabeth-"

"He could have come home!" she protested. "It's worth a shot!"

"I have to go now." Nico broke in, putting a hand on his side. "I'll check in when I can."

Annabeth nodded, wiping her eyes before smiling at him. "Good luck finding Percy. I really... I'm praying that you do. Because I know that you and I are the only ones that can find him. And I'm out of places to look."

Nico nodded, swallowing his guilt thickly. He swept through the screen of mist, causing the image of Annabeth to disappear.

Sighing, he checked his bag again to make sure it held ambrosia and nectar before heading out.

He got out of the castle, heading through an abandoned part of the Underworld. It seemed peaceful, however. There were no tortured souls, nor any lost and confused souls. All there was was him and his heartbeat, the sound echoing around his rib cage and vibrating his being. For some reason, he started to really like the feeling of hearing and feeling his heart. It reminded him that he was alive, not just some corpse of the Underworld. And he needed that now more than ever.

"Son of Hades, what are you doing?"

Nico jumped slightly, looking around. No one was there, but he knew he hadn't just imagined that voice. Using his power, he couldn't even feel any souls. There was no one there.

"You know what awaits you. What are you doing?"

Nico grit his teeth, clenching his fists as he tried to ignore it, continuing onward. Everything around him seemed the same, but something was different. Not with the scenery, but with him. He had changed...but how?

"Ignore the crazy, ignore the crazy." Nico muttered, walking deeper into the Underworld. "The crazy does not control you. The crazy..."

The crazy...

Nico's eyes widened as he froze in place, everything connecting at once.

 _"_ _You understand this, don't you?" Hades sat across from him at the table, fingering his wine glass. "You have to be careful. Tell me if anything becomes...odd."_

 _"_ _Odd?" Nico furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at him. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _Hades sighed, looking down at the table sadly. "You know of my other children throughout history?"_

 _Nico nodded a little. "Adolf Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Jim Jones,_ _Dr Harold Shipman,_ _and Gary Evans. They all started off normal and ended up killing."_

 _Hades nodded, his face going ashen. "They all got the curse. Adolf...he started off right. Got further than the rest. Then it took control of him. Before he knew what was happening, it was too late."_

 _"What curse?" Nico perked his head up, suddenly interested._

 _Hades started tapping his fingers, his face still saddened. "All of my children go unhinged. After something happenes to them, like Adolf losing his mother. But they all go unhinged..."_

 _"Unhinged..." Nico moved the word around his mouth, frowning as he thought. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _"Unfortuanatly, you'll know. But I have hope you'll make it far. You're different than the others."_

 _"So you won't tell me what's wrong with me?!"_

 _"There's nothing wrong with you. Just different..."_

Unhinged...

Another word for crazy.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

Nico reached the space he had been heading to but had been dreading reaching. That area, the land of no return. It held a monster that consumed anyone that dared come near its cage. And now it was Nico's turn to tempt it.

The terain was rocky, the path making him stumble with every step. The slope kept getting steepier as he got closer, but he couldn't stop. It was almost sucking him to it, making him unable to turn around.

There was no more going back.

"Be the martyr, be the martyr,..." Nico mumbled to himself, leaning on his crutch more and more. He was no hero and never would be, but he could be a martyr.

He would be the martyr for Hazel, to give her another chance; for Percy, to earn forgiveness; for Annabeth, so she wouldn't feel his pain; for Bianca's reborn spirit, so she could live in a monster-free world; for Luke, Penny, Silena, and Beckendorf, so their souls could live in Elysium in peace; for Will, for killing his little sister. He would be the martyr for them.

And he was okay with that. Happy, even. He could repay them for taking him in and helping him, even after all the bad he had done. He would make it up to them, he swore that.

Even if it was through pain and suffering.

What did the Christians say? Humans were made to suffer. They were made to serve, to make others happy. Suffering built you up, created you into a person that could do so much good. Through suffering, you could become better. You could understand how amazing the little things are, how beautiful life can be. Suffering and pain are the key.

Nico believed that with his whole heart.

Nico stopped when he came face to face wth the pit, staring down into the darkness. No sounds escaped from it, but he could just imagine all the screams of pain. No laughter or happiness, but death and sorrow. It was a pit that never expirianced surviviors, a pit where they sent you to die.

And, in that pit was where he had to go.

"Nine days..." Nico stared into the darkness, closing his eyes. "Nine day fall...will the impact kill me? It will all be for nothing."

He sighed heavily, making sure his bag was on tightly before reopening his eyes. He took one last look around him before holding his crutch to his chest, stepping into nothing.

He jumped, and he fell.

The first hour of falling was complete fear. His body tensed, waiting for an impact, as his heart beat out of his chest. Everything around him seemed to blur, his hands searching for a ledge to grasp, anything to catch him.

He changed his mind a little too late.

"Dad!" he screamed, but the words vanished as soon as they came from his mouth. He tried over and over, but none of his screams would be succesful. The only thing he could do was fall and wait.

Fall and wait...

Fall and wait...

Fall and wait...

This never ending, carousel-like thing, the way it stopped time completely...

All there were was the beating of his heart and the pain in his side.

So much pain.

When would it end?

"Someone, please...help me..."


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18**_

Nico had talked to a lot of ghosts in his life, to either kill time or have a conversation for the first time in days. Obviously, by now, he had talked to many spirits that had drowned. Some said the water had been too deep, some didn't know how to swim, some were knocked out or tied down, while others did it to commit suicide. Nico listened to and remembered each of their stories, and everything they said about drowning was correct.

They all led with the pain of it. Scientifically, this was because your lungs first filled with the water instead of oxygen. Your body isn't used to this and tries to shut down the way it's coming in. Both of these lead to horrible pain in your chest, which makes drowning one of the most painful ways to die.

But then, after your lungs have filled up, the pain stops. The panic that had gotten a hold of you disappears, and you're left alone with the calmness of the water. That is why it is also labeled one of the most peaceful ways to die. This is because your brain isn't getting oxygen and you're slowly going unconscious.

Then you pass out. This is when your organs fail, your heart stops, and your brain loses all functions. That's when you die. Nobody remembers that part, but it always happens to those who stay in the water too long.

Nico found out the hard way that all of that was true.

The fall had been long, agonizing, full of hunger and fear. He didn't know how long it had been, but he was exhausted from all of that time with no sleep. When the walls around him started to turn red, his descent started to slow down. Looking around in confusion, he watched as shadows circled him, lowering him. _He_ wasn't controlling them, but somebody was.

"Dad?" he asked hopefully, his mouth dry.

There was no answer.

He finally felt the shadows loosen their hold on him until they were gone, leaving him to drop. It wasn't far, but before he could even register what had happened, he was in water.

It was freezing, but still in shock, all he could do was let himself sink. After a minute, he tried to move his sore arms, wincing from the pain in his side. That's was when he realized what was happening, and he kicked for the surface.

 _Why do you want to go out there?_

 _Stay with us._

 _They don't want you._

 _You can't save them, you never could._

Voices filled the waters, making him freeze. He started to sink again, but all he could do was look around in shock. He was in the River Cocytus, the river of misery.

"What are you doing, letting them win? You're down here to save your sister, remember?"

The same voice he had heard earlier came back, but he was more than happy to hear it. It grounded him, reminded him of his mission.

The pain of holding his breath started to get to him as he started to swim upwards again, his vision starting to darken. He fought through it, however, not one to let pain stop him. Pain was just a feeling, nothing more.

His head finally broke the surface, his body immediately coughing up the water he had inhaled. He started to swim to the shore, every motion causing his side to hurt a little more. His crutch was nowhere to be seen, but his bag was still on his back.

Nico pulled himself onto the shore, not caring that it was full of glass shards, coughing up water. He stayed like this for a couple minutes, his body aching from the effort. When he started to breathe normally, he forced himself into a standing position, digging through his bag to see if anything fell out. When he was sure he had everything, he ate a little bit of ambrosia.

He looked around to see one of the most hopeless sights. A sight no one had lived to tell about. The sight of the bottom of Tartarus.

 _"_ _As a son of Hades," his father was still sitting at the table but had drained most of his glass of wine. "the Underworld is yours to explore. You are the heir, the prince. Don't screw that up. But another reason your siblings go unhinged is that they can all see through the mist. So can you. Because of your blood, your body refuses to see what the mist wants you to see. That's why you saw the horns on that bus driver. You could see through the mist."_

Nico had always thought that that was cool. Seeing through the mist was something most demigods didn't have, and it was something that could be life saving. But that day, staring into Hell itself, Nico hated it. He hated how it showed him what was really there; the tumors, the veins, the cells that were represented with each monster. All of it together showed what Tartarus really was: a body of the god himself. That's why so many died down there.

Nico refused to be one of those people, however. So he started to walk.


	19. Chapter 19

Nico soon understood why the whole place was unsurvivable. There were monsters at every turn, most cannibalizing and eating the others. For some reason, however, they seemed to ignore Nico. He knew that was weird and probably wouldn't last, but he let his guard down for a second as he sat to rest his side.

 _Nico di Angelo...one more chance to save your sister._ The woman's voice came back, vibrating around him. _I'll keep you safe down here if you chose that option. I already have been._

Nico frowned. "I won't join you. You're Gaea, right?"

The air turned thick around him. _Words have power, son of Hades._

"Do I look like I care?" Nico asked bitterly. "Leave me alone."

The voice went silent, but Nico had a bad feeling that this was only the beginning. Now the monsters started to attract to him, forcing him to start moving again.

Pain was one of the only things that ran through his mind, then. It slowed him down and made him want to give up and just die, but he didn't. He knew he couldn't. Hazel's face was the only thing that kept him going.

The area around him started to darken, making him even more nervous. There was barely any monsters anymore, but that didn't say anything. In fact, it probably meant worse dangers for him. That was just how the demigod world worked.

He had lost his sword during the fall, so he was left weaponless as he trudged on. A couple glass shards were still in his hands, so he had at least _something_ he could use, even though it wouldn't do much.

He frowned when he felt a presence near by, walking as fast as his side would allow. This was barely anything, however, so he was left to hobble.

A chuckle came from behind him, something large hitting the back of his head before he could react. In two seconds, he was unconscious.

Nico woke up to his head throbbing but his limbs uncomfortably numb. At first, everything was so fuzzy he didn't care to know where he was. When he remembered what happened, however, his eyes snapped open.

His vision barely worked, too blury to even recognize anything. When he tried to move his arms, he felt binds around his wrists. The same was for his legs, but he felt like he was standing up. Cursing mentally, he knew he shouldn't had let himself get captured.

Now he was as good as dead.

 _Nico di Angelo, I can save you from this. Just join me._

He growled slightly. "Leave me alone!"

"He's awake!" the voice came from in front of him. All he could see was a large mass, but that was scary enough. He didn't want to find out how much damage that mass could inflict on him.

Nico coughed slightly, trying to think of _any_ escape route, but there were none. No energy meant no powers, so Nico was stuck defenseless. He couldn't even see. How was he supposed to fight?

Nico's eyes widened in shock, the foot colliding with his stomach too fast to notice until the pain started to settle in. Nico groaned, hearing the unmistakable sound of a rib breaking.

"Join Mother Earth, or perish." the mass spoke, gripping his hair and forcing his head to look up.

"How many times do I have to say no?" Nico spoke difficultly, spitting out a little blood.

The foot connected with his stomach again, this time more forcefully. Nico bit his lip to prevent yelling out in pain, but he felt tears prickle at his eyes. He felt the wetness and stickiness on his side, knowing that blood was drenching his clothes. If he listened, he could hear it repetitively hitting the ground.

"How much pain can the little boy take?" the voice was filled with amusement, cold and evil.

Nico didn't speak, pulling fruitlessly at the bindings again. They wouldn't give, but the gesture started to make his wrists bleed. He was already getting dizzy from blood loss, but fought to stay awake. Who knew what they would do when he passed out.

"Let's see how powerful his sword is, huh?" another voice spoke, colder than the other. "Stygian iron, rather powerful. Especially for a son of Hades."

"You can't hurt me." Nico managed, trying to act strong. Inside, however, he was more scared than he had ever been.

"That was the worst lie I've ever heard." Nico felt the tip of the sword on his cheek, the cool metal drawing a little blood.

Hissing slightly, he pulled his head away. "Get the Hades away from me."

"You think you control us?" the monster (Nico decided no human could be that large) laughed. "If I was you, I would be doing some pleading and begging."

Nico scoffed, glaring at him. "Like that will happen."

"It will, in an hour or so." the blade moved to a corner of his mouth. "I'm exited to see how much you can bleed without dying."

"If I even come close to dying, my dad will know. Then you'll be in for it." Nico warned.

The monster laughed. "You think he will save you? He would be glad to have you gone!"

Nico frowned. "That's not true."

"You're a disappointment. Always picking the wrong way." he continued, pulling away. "I'll see you in the morning."

Nico almost sighed in relief but stopped himself. From there, he used the nights to think of escape and the days to try to survive. Pain took on a new meaning for him, filled with blood filled vision and the sight of his bones. Whenever he thought he would finally die and the pain would be no more, they would feed him the River Phlegethon or ambrosia and nectar. He was never aloud to die.

One day, when Nico could literally feel the air on his leg bone, he broke. He could never describe it, but something inside him snapped. He held no more hope, no more determination, no more love. All he was was a mass of pain and a corpse of who he used to be. For the first time, he gave up.

"Gaea,...what do you want me to do?"


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

 _Do you think Earth Mother's plan with work?_

 _Of course. It will finally give me the chance to bring down Percy Jackson!_

 _But the Romans and Greeks are already working together._

 _The spawn of Poseidon, the spawn of Pluto, and the spawn of Athena will stand up for him. When the others find out what he will do, they will turn against each other. Turn against him. Then he will fully work for Earth Mother._

 _He did work for that imbecile Kronos..._

 _Exactly. He's got a rep for going against them. When they find out he's working for Earth Mother...*laughs* They'll hate him, for sure. They'll hate their most powerful weapon. He'll become_ our _most powerful weapon!_

Percy snapped awake, his eyes wide. The room around him was dark, just like it had been in his dream. All he had heard were those voices...Nico, what were you doing?

The breakfast bell rang across the Argo II, starting the sounds of life. Percy got dressed before heading to the Dinning Hall, feeling nervous. This would be their first meal together. Should he really tell them about his dream? He barely knew Jason, Piper, and Leo, and Hazel would immediately start to worry. If he would tell anybody, it would be Annabeth. For some reason, the son of Hades was all she talked about lately. They had the weirdest friendship, but it was there.

All because Percy had gone missing.

When he walked in, everyone was already seated and eating. Annabeth was at the head, nibbling on a bit of toast, obviously lost in thought. Percy sat next to her, tapping her shoulder. "Annie?"

She looked up at him, her eyes relaxing when she saw him. "Yeah?"

"I had a dream-"

"I had a dream." Hazel said loudly, looking down at her food. "I though I should share it. It's about my brother, Nico. He was trapped, screaming for help...we need to save him."

"That doesn't sound like Nico." Annabeth frowned.

"Well, that's what I saw. He's in trouble." Hazel confirmed.

Annabeth's eyes widened after a second, turning to Jason. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death."

"Di Angelo means angel." Jason looked at Hazel. "Your brother knows where the Doors of Death are."

"So we have to find him." Percy summed up, Hazel nodding.

"But, the twins..." Annabeth shook her head. "This is a bad idea. It's a trap."

"So? We're saving my brother." Hazel crossed her arms, glaring at them before faltering. "R-right...?"

"Hazel...what if..."

"We can't trust him." Leo finished Jason's sentence. "From what Percy said, he isn't a good guy. He joined Kronos."

"He's my _brother_ , and he's in trouble." Hazel countered. "He's done good, too. He's not evil. Ask Annabeth. He helped her find Percy."

"That's true..." Annabeth looked down.

"And he's a good kid. We're helping him." Percy added. He smiled at Hazel. "We'll find him."

She smiled before glaring at Leo and Jason. "I can't believe you two!"

"They were just being cautious." Frank took her hand in his.

Hazel yanked her hand away from him, standing up. "He's my _brother_. You shouldn't be cautious while deciding if you should _save his life._ He's done so much good. Why can't you see that?"

She ran off, leaving them to stare after her. Frank went to get up, but Piper stopped him. "Give her some space. Her brother's probably dying."

 _Or is he?_ Percy thought, remembering his dream the night before. Was Nico really in trouble?

"We need to figure out where he is." Annabeth stated. "Tell if you have anymore dreams. Right now, we still set our course to Rome."

That night, Percy's dreams weren't any better.

 _Nico was tied to a pole, his eyes closed. His face was screwed up in pain but he didn't move. He stayed still._

 _Even when the twin giants came up to him._

 _"_ _How do we let them know where he is?"_

 _"_ _You think I know? Ask the kid."_

 _"_ _The kid has a name." Nico managed, not opening his eyes. "A-and we're in Rome." he spit out blood, coughing._

 _"_ _Yes, we know that. How do we get them to know that?"_

 _"_ _Trust me, they know." Nico looked right at Percy, his dark eyes bagged and broken._

 _Percy tried to speak but couldn't, keeping his eyes on Nico. What had happened to him?_

 _"_ _T-they know." Nico repeated, laying his head back. "Goodnight."_

 _Percy frowned, trying to move forward as the dream changed. "Nic-_

"Nico!" Percy woke up screaming, drenched in sweat. When he looked around, everything was the same.

But everything was different.


	21. Chapter 21

"I really don't like this. There's something else going on here." Jason mumbled, playing with his fork as they got closer to Rome.

"It doesn't matter. We can't leave him to die." Hazel weakly glared at him.

"And he knows where the Doors of Death are." Annabeth admitted. "We need him."

"What if we lose someone while-"

"We won't." Annabeth persisted. "We have a good team. We've got this."

Percy stayed quiet, staring down at his plate mournfully. If Nico had fully sided with them, no one was coming back alive. The boy was just too powerful.

"And even if it's risky, we can't leave a fellow demigod behind." Frank added. "That's just wrong."

Percy nodded slowly, agreeing wholeheartedly. Even if Nico was bad, he was a demigod. And if they didn't come, who knew what they would do to him. "I agree with Frank."

"That's because you know him. I'm not going to die for someone I've never met." Leo glanced at Hazel. "I'm sorry, but that's true."

"No one is dying." Annabeth repeated. "So you're coming with us. I'm the leader of this quest, remember? Jason, you're coming, too. If Nico's too weak to shadow travel out, we're going to need your flying skills."

Hazel wiped her eyes quickly. "So we're really getting him?"

Annabeth nodded, giving her a small smile. "How much longer to Rome, then?" she asked, looking to Leo.

He shrugged. "Couple minutes. Festus said there's a lot of magic working around here, so it's taking longer than usual."

"So stay on high alert." Annabeth got up. "Make sure you have your weapons and the likes. Someone bring ambrosia and nectar."

Piper nodded, going to the cupboard to get it. "We don't have much left."

Annabeth frowned. "U-uh…just take it anyways."

Percy came up to her as everyone dispensed, gently touching her arm. "Annabeth?"

"Huh?" she turned to look at him, her hair falling out of her messy ponytail. What's up? Please tell me you didn't manage to lose Riptide."

"No, not that. I'm not that stupid." Percy acted offended. "Well, we do call you Seaweed Brain." Annabeth admitted.

"Annabeth, I…I have a really bad feeling about this." Percy looked down in guilt.

"A dream?"

He nodded.

"I trust you. Do you really think we shouldn't do it?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Percy looked up at her. "I'm just saying. Nico…has a lot more going on than being captured."

"You think he's worker for the other side?" Annabeth asked quietly. "I know it wouldn't be the first time, but I thought he got better. I was _hoping_ he got better."

"I'm not sure, Annie. I know you're friends but I'm just letting you know." She nodded, biting her lip. "Okay…okay. Let's get up on deck."

Percy nodded, following her. The feeling didn't go away, but he felt better after telling her. Somehow, that made him less worried.

And that made him more scared.

"Ready for the best kidnapping of a prisoner ever?!" Leo greeted, his fists in the air.

"Don't talk about him like that." Annabeth snapped, a hand on her dagger. "He's not that helpless."

Leo immediately deflated, going back to the wheel.

"He didn't mean it like that." Percy quietly.

"I know…" Annabeth looked down. "But…I shot him. And instead of killing me when he got the chance, he got up and helped me search the ends of the earth for you, even when he could barely get out of bed."

"He's a good kid." Percy summed up. "You're scared to see what they did to him."

"Yeah…" Annabeth looked down.

"He's alive. That's what matters." Percy grabbed her hand, smiling sadly. "Okay?"

"Okay."


	22. Chapter 22

_**AN: There**_ _ **won't**_ _ **be any Annabeth x Nico. They only have a strong friendship.**_

They stepped into the cavern-ish room, the only thing in front of them a bronze jar. With a feeling of dread, Percy knew exactly who was inside.

Hazel stepped forward a little, tears streaming down her face. "Is he in there?"

"Hazel, hang on. This is too easy." Frank warned, grabbing her arm. He looked around, frowning. "Something's up."

"I know..." Annabeth agreed. "Just stick together. Let's see if he's in there."  
Hazel nodded, going up to the jar slowly. After a second, she pushed it on its side.

Nico di Angelo slid out, half conscious and barely breathing. A pool of blood started to form around him immediately, his pale skin tinted red. Nico's hands shook as they slowly moved to his bad side, his eyes not even open.

"Nico!" Hazel knelt beside him, pulling his head onto her lap. "Nico...are you okay?"

He didn't answer but his eyes fluttered softly.

Annabeth knelt beside Hazel, pulling Nico's shirt up to see his side. Frowning, she looked away. "We need to get him patched up."

"Did his stitches come out again?" Percy asked, taking Riptide out of his pocket and looking around nervously.

Annabeth nodded. "All of them, this time. We need to get him back to the ship. Can you come carry him?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. He's like two pounds."

"Everyone else, keep a look out. We'll come back the way we came." Annabeth ordered.

"No,.." Nico spoke quietly, opening his eyes a little. "W-we need to go deeper."

"Why's that?" Annabeth asked, brushing some hair out of his face.

"S-save Hazel." Nico closed his eyes again.

Hazel frowned. "Nico, I'm right here. I don't need saved."  
"We need to go deeper." Nico repeated. "Please..."  
Annabeth frowned, glancing up at Percy. Her mind went to the dream Percy had the night before, the bad feelings and the uncertainty. She then thought about that day when she shot Nico, how the boy had tried to kill Percy...

"Nico, what's deeper down?" she asked.

Nico frowned. "Hazel...she's in trouble."

"No, Hazel's right here. What else is down there?"

Nico opened his eyes slowly, looking in hers. "We need to go deeper."

She frowned, looking into his eyes for a second before sighing. "Okay, this is how it'll work. One team will take Nico back. The other will go further down."

"We shouldn't split up." Jason shot the idea down. "Especially when the second team will be running into monsters."

"It's the only way. I believe Nico. We have to go further down." Annabeth glared slightly at him. "Percy, Piper, and Hazel will take Nico back up. I'll take Leo, Frank, and Jason with me. Any questions?"

Hazel shook her head, holding Nico close.

"Annie, I'm going with you." Percy spoke. "I'm not letting you go by yourself."

"Yes, you are. You're taking Nico back. You're the only one I trust with him. And he needs medical attention." Annabeth replied evenly. "Piper knows how to stitch, so she'll stitch his side. And Hazel probably wants to stay with her brother."

Percy sighed, nodding. "Fine. Be careful."

She nodded, kissing his cheek before pulling away. "Get moving."

He nodded, picking Nico up carefully. The younger boy groaned in pain but stayed asleep.

"Let's go." Percy said to the two girls, leading them off. As soon as they were gone, Annabeth sighed in relief. "They'll be okay. Us, however, I'm not sure. Nico wants us to go down there. That means it's a trap."  
Jason frowned. "You're saying he's setting a trap for us?"

Annabeth nodded, standing up. "Yeah, but there's something else going on. We need to go check it out."

"You just sent them back with him and he's evil?" Frank asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Annabeth sighed, starting to walk. "No, he's not evil. He's got good morals. I think someone's making him do this. Did you hear what he said? 'Hazel's in trouble'. Someone told him Hazel was trapped or something."

"Then why are we following through with it?" Jason asked, all of them following. "Obviously nothing's waiting for us but monsters."

"Because I trust Nico to know that something else is happening. Either something will happen to him if we don't go or something will happen to us." Annabeth replied. "So just stay on guard and stay close."

"Percy said he worked for Kronos. Why do you trust him so much?" Jason asked curiously.

"Because." Annabeth replied curtly, not looking at him. "I don't need a reason."

He frowned but followed her, his sword already out.

Frank notched an arrow, looking around them. "How deep are we going?"

"As deep as we need to." Annabeth answered. "Just stay close and stay together. Remember, we're on the same team."

Percy laid Nico on the bed, stepping back. He leaned against the wall for a second, shaking too bad to move. For some reason, Nico kept bleeding and something stunk. Blood was everywhere and he barely saw any coming out of his side.

"Where am I stitching?" Piper asked, getting the supplies and going over to Nico. She looked down at the younger boy for the first time, scowling slightly at the blood and the smell.

"Here," Percy took scissors and cut Nico's shirt off, freezing when he saw the real state Nico was in. Scars lined his body, only seeming to be closed by one layer of skin. You could see part of his rib sticking out, another one cut down into. Lower on his stomach, a large scar ran across and the area looked much flatter than normal. Everything was bleeding, and that was only his torso.

"S-stitch up everything." Percy stuttered, his mind reeling with the thoughts of what they did to him. But _who_ did it. Gaea? He knew she was behind it, but he also knew she didn't do it personally. It had been someone else. And Percy swore he would get revenge, even if that was the last thing he did.

Piper nodded, starting on his side.

Nico's eyes opened slightly, his face twisted up in pain. "Annabeth...? Where's Hazel?"

"I'm right here." Hazel held his hand tightly, looking into his eyes. "I'm okay and I'm not leaving, okay?"

He nodded a little, closing his eyes again. "Hurts,"

"I know, but we're helping you. It'll be better soon." Hazel replied.

"Nico, who hurt you?" Percy asked, coming up to the boy. "Who did this?"

Nico frowned, coughing up blood. "C-can't say."

"Why's that?" Percy asked, watching as Piper worked. "Did they threaten you?"  
Nico nodded a little. His eyes started to close again, the look of pain staying.

"No, stay awake." Percy ordered. "Staying awake means staying alive."

"So...tired..." Nico moved his head slightly. "Feels better...when asleep."

"Too bad. You're staying with us."

"Nico...," Hazel spoke quietly. "Did they torture you?"

Nico closed his eyes tightly, starting to breath heavily as he obviously lied. "No,"  
Percy clenched his fists, biting his lip. Never had he seen Nico this hurt, this broken. Whoever did it to him, they must have done something horrible. And they _would_ pay for it. Percy vowed that.

"I'm sorry for asking." Hazel said quickly, putting a cold rag on his forehead. "I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it."

Nico nodded a little, starting to breathe normally.

"Nico, I need you to tell me if you're hurt anywhere else." Piper said quietly. "I don't fancy taking your pants off and looking so tell us the truth."

Nico nodded a little.

"So take your pants off?" Percy asked.

Nico nodded again.

Percy sighed. "We will when we're done with the ones on your chest."

"Hurts," a tear escaped his eyes, mixing with the blood on his face. "Would feel better...if I died...feel so much better."  
"No!" Hazel gripped his hand tightly. "You're not dying, okay? You get that? You're not going to die. I'm not letting you."  
Nico nodded a little. "Okay, Haz."

"The wound on his side isn't new." Piper frowned, looking up at Percy.

"I know, it's been there for awhile. It opens every once in awhile." Percy replied. "Must have opened when he got caught."

"What's it from?" Hazel asked curiously, glancing over at him. "How did he hurt his side?"

"He didn't tell you?" Percy frowned, Piper starting to work on Nico's side.

Hazel shook her head. "It's been like that ever since I met him. He won't tell me anything."  
"It's not my story to tell." Percy said quietly, watching Piper work again. "But it's a short story, so ask him again later. We've all gotten passed it."

"Even Annabeth." Nico coughed.

Percy smiled sadly, nodding. "Even Annabeth."

Piper sat back after a second, breathing out. "Okay, that's done. Nico, you said your legs are hurt?"

Nico nodded before passing out again.

Percy sighed, looking around uncomfortably. "Um..."

Piper rolled her eyes, starting to take his pants off. "What are you afraid of? He gave you permission."

"I'm not afraid." Percy blushed slightly in embarrassment.

Piper didn't answer, her face pale as she got the pants off. Percy frowned, looking down to see what she saw. At first, everything looked fine. Most of the area was fine, his legs only looking thin, not hurt. But then he moved his eyes lower to around the kneecap, and his heart dropped. The area was black and peeling, the flesh obviously rotting. A strong odder came from it, causing all of them to back up a little.

"I-I don't know how to treat that." Piper managed. "I only know how to stitch."

Hazel didn't answer, looking sick. After a second she ran out towards the bathroom, Piper following.

Percy sighed, laying a stray blanket over Nico. The only thing they could do was wait for Annabeth, so he sat in the chair next to the bed and waited.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

Nico woke up to many voices around him, all of them sounding panicked. He didn't open his eyes, however, trying to take note of what was going on.

The smell of the Infirmary filled his nose, making him believe he was at Camp Half-Blood, so away from Tartarus. Then why did they sound so worried? Was there something wrong?

Was there something wrong with him?

Nico opened his eyes slightly, fuzzily seeing the white ceiling above him. Other than that, nothing was in his view. After a couple minutes, however, Hazel's face was above him.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

He frowned, starting to think it was another hallucination. How was Hazel there? How was _he_ there?

Hazel frowned after a second. "You okay?"

"You're okay?" Nico asked, looking up at her in confusion. He still didn't move, every inch of him hurting.

She smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm okay. How is your pain?"

"Bad," Nico admitted. "Where am I?"  
"The Argo II. On our way to the House of Hades." Hazel explained.

Nico immediately frowned, sitting up. "Wait,"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Annabeth was next to him, gently laying him back.  
"We're going to need you at your full strength, so you have to lay down and rest."

Looking around, he realized that the room was full. Everyone stared at him except for a blond boy, who was passed out on the bed next to his.

"You have to listen to me before you go there." Nico told her, a hand moving to his side in pain.

"You know where the Doors of Death are?" Percy asked, crossing his arms.

Nico nodded. "There's two sides. One is in the House of Hades. The other..." his voice faltered as another wave of pain hit him, this one much larger.

"Nico, if you don't want to continue-"

"I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld." Nico continued, taking a deep breath. "I really thought I could. But I can't. I thought I could survive it, but once I was in the pit..."

"The pit?" Percy looked confused before freezing, his face going pale. "Oh, gods..."  
"What?" a girl next to the blond boy looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Annie..."

"Nico,..." Annabeth glanced at Percy before turning back to Nico. "Are you talking about what we're thinking? Did you really go in Tar-"

"Tartarus." Percy finished.

Nico pulled the blanket over his head, laying down again.

"Okay, no more saying that name." Hazel ordered, her eyes flashing. "Nico, do you want us to give you a minute?"

He nodded a little, still not moving from under the blanket.

Hazel nodded sadly, kissing his head through the blanket. "Just yell if you need something. Don't try to walk yet."

She glanced at the others before walking out, expecting them to follow.

"Let's go. Give him his privacy. You too, Piper. Jason will be fine by himself." Annabeth went to the door, waiting until they were all gone before leaving, closing it behind her.

She led them into the dinning room, sitting down. Around her, she watched the doubt on some of the demigods' faces. "What?"

" _That's_ the boy that could 'take down Gaea and her army by himself'?" Leo asked. "He hid from a _name_."

"Leo, did you see his injuries?" Annabeth asked coldly.

He shook his head.

"Then you don't know that he was tortured." Annabeth said bitterly. "Whatever they did to him..."

"He's not the same person." Hazel said sadly, looking down at the table. "He's nowhere near who he used to be."

"So...what?" Piper asked. "Is he the weak link?"

"He's still powerful, but now he has fear." Annabeth replied. "We need to find out what we can from him, but we can't push it. Right now, his state is too fragile. He's too hurt."

"I think they want to know if he's going to fight." Percy admitted. "I do, too. We need him on our side. And we need to know if he's actually on our side."

"He's on our side." Annabeth said quickly. "How far are we from the House of Hades?"

"About an hour-"

"We'll find out enough. So far we know that the Doors are in Tartarus and the House of Hades." Annabeth concluded. "So we need to close both sides. That's-"

"Impossible." Percy finished, looking down glumly. "No one had survived Tartarus before."

"Nico has."  
"Nico's different."

"How so?"  
"He's the son of Hades."  
"So?"

"He's strong?"

"So?"

"He's stronger than you and you all know it!" Annabeth stood up, glaring at them. "Stop acting like he's a weak little kid. If you knew about half the things he's done..."

"They wouldn't trust him." Percy replied. "Like I don't."  
"He saved you!"  
"After he tried killing me!"  
"Shut up!" Hazel stood up, her eyes watering. "Don't you see? This is what Gaea wants! She's splitting us up. This is why she did that to Nico. She wants us to fight so we can't work together."

The room went silent, everywhere staring down in guilt. After a couple minutes, Annabeth got up and stormed out.

Percy looked over at Leo and Piper. "Do you think she...likes Nico?"

Piper smiled knowingly. "Her and Nico won't get together."

"How can you be so sure?" Percy asked.

"Daughter of Aphrodite." she smiled again before looking worried. "Do you guys think Jason will be okay?"

Leo frowned for the first time. "He'll be fine. He'll wake up."

"What if he doesn't?" Piper asked quietly. "He's been in the coma since they got back from where we found Nico."

"He got hit in the head." Percy replied. "Yeah, he's going to be out, but the guy's got a thick skull."  
Annabeth came out again. "Hazel, how much ambrosia did you give Nico?"

"He can't have any more." Hazel said sadly. "He's still hurting?"

Annabeth nodded slightly. "He stopped bleeding, though, so that's good." She sighed, walking out again after a second.

"I've never seen her care that much for someone besides Percy." Hazel admitted.

"They've been through a lot." Percy watched her leave sadly. "They helped each other when I couldn't. And she forgave him for a lot. So I did, too. He's a good person."

"A backstabbing person." Leo muttered.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

"I'm not going to force you to tell me, but we really need to know what happened down there." Annabeth said quietly, laying next to Nico on the bed. She took his hand, frowning at the scars on his fingers. "These are healing nicely. They should feel like nothing happened soon enough."

"But something did happen." Nico replied softly. "The scars will always remind me of that."

She frowned. "I know..."

It was silent for a couple minutes, both friends lost in their own thoughts. After awhile of this, Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Cut it for me?"

Annabeth glanced at him. "Huh?"

"Will you cut my hair for me? It's getting too long." Nico held a strand of his hair up, showing how it went down to his shoulders.

She nodded, smiling softly. "When was the last time you cut your hair?"

He frowned, looking down. "Bianca...she cut it for me, when we were at the Lotus. So I was ten."

"I'm sorry for asking." Annabeth said immediately. She loved to talk to Nico, but whenever she did, she felt like she was walking on egg shells. He was a ticking time bomb. No matter what she said, she seemed to set him off.

"Just cut it already." Nico sat up. His hands went to the bed, propping him up as the pain settled in. "About chin length or something."

She went and found a pair of scissors, sitting behind him. "Sorry if it turns out bad. I've never done this before."

"You don't cut Percy's hair?"

She smiled, picking up some of his hair. "Nope. His mom does. Your hair is really curly, so it's longer than it looks."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Not really."

He sighed, looking down at his arms. Scars lined every inch possible and blocked any kind of happiness that would make its way through to him.

Annabeth frowned, glancing at him. "Why don't you wear long sleeves?"

"I will, trust me. I just...they're still there, even if I hide them." Nico traced one with his finger.

"But other people won't know that." Annabeth threw a small piece of his hair aside. "And Percy and I are here to talk if you need it. Hazel probably will be, too. You don't have to try and act like nothing happened. You're aloud to hurt, aloud to cry, aloud to be in pain. You're still human, even if you're a son of Hades. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

He smiled softly. "I'm only half human."

"So? There's still some there. You're just as human as I am."

"Yeah, I guess... Annabeth?"

"Yeah?" she looked down at him.

He looked down, messing with his hands. "I couldn't see much, because my vision was blurry. But I'm pretty sure it was two giants."

She looked at him in shock for a second before nodding. "Okay,"

He bit his lip, pulling away from her. "I'm done."

She frowned. "I only have half d-"

"Get away!" Nico pushed her away, pulling the blanket over him and laying down. "No more talking...please..."

She sighed, setting a glass of water on the table next to him. "Get some rest. If your stitches come undone, tell someone. I'll be talking to Percy."

He didn't answer, staying how he was.

She left after a second, closing the door softly behind her.

She came back in after about ten minutes, dumping his water out and getting some fresh water for him. "Can I finish you hair? You look like a rugrat."

"I don't know what that means." he mumbled, keeping the blanket over him.

"It means that I need to finish your hair." she took the scissors, sitting on the bed. "Please? If you don't want to talk, then don't talk."

He sat up after a second, looking down at his hand before nodding slightly.

She sighed in relief, starting to cut his hair again.

"Do you think I'm evil?" Nico asked softly.

She froze slightly before shaking her head. "No, I don't think you're evil."

"Then why did you freeze like that?"

"Because I think you're misunderstood." she replied.

"So the others think I'm evil?"

"...Yeah,..."

He nodded in understanding. "Is the blond alright? He went further down with you, didn't he? What happened down there?"

She frowned before smiling softly. "Those twin giants you mentioned?"

"I never said twins-"

"We kicked their asses. Sent them back to Tartarus." she finished, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "We got revenge for you, Nico."

He sat there for a minute before smiling, looking up at her. "Yeah?"

She nodded happily. "Yeah."

He smiled, nodding. "Awesome."

"Jason got knocked out but he'll be fine." she gestured to the blond Roman. "He should be awake soon."

"Have you had any news from Camp Half-Blood?" he asked curiously as she began to cut again.

"They updated us that they are, in fact, giving up on finding that killer."

"The one that killed Penny?"

"Yep,"

Nico sighed in relief. "Good. Um, how's Will handling with that?"

"Losing Penny? He's a strong guy. He's getting over it." she brushed some fallen hair off his shoulders. "Why do you care?"

"I want to make it up to him. He lost his little sister. I know what it's like to lose a sibling, and I'm sorry for putting him through that." Nico explained quietly.

Annabeth nodded in understanding. "He's doing good, Nico."

"Do you think he forgives me?"

"Definitely."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he took care of you." Annabeth stood back to look at his hair so far. "When you blamed Percy, would you have saved him from death?"

"No,..."

"Exactly." she began to even his hair.

He nodded slightly.

"Stop moving." she moved his head back to where it was before. "I don't want to maim your hair."

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly before frowning again. "But will the giants come back, since the Doors are open?"

"I don't know." she answered honestly. "But if they do, you know for a fact we can get more revenge together. You won't have to face them alone."

"You'll be there?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Can we torture _them_? Give them a taste of their own medicine?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course. I'd be happy to help you with that."

He closed his eyes. "They did it because they wanted me to join Gaea."

She frowned. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "I didn't think it would work but...I couldn't do it anymore. You understand, right? I couldn't..." he held back a sob. "At the end, I didn't care anymore if I joined her or not. I really didn't. I was just so tired..."

"I would have been, too. You held out longer than all of us would have." she said softly.

"Seriously? You think so?" he asked, opening his eyes.

She nodded. "I saw some scars and knew I couldn't do this. I have no idea what other things they did to you."

"They, um,..." he glanced down sadly. "Want me to tell you?"

She froze in shock before nodding. "If you want to."  
"They kept me alive by feeding me the River Phlegethon." he explained. "It was literally the _only_ way I didn't die. I would have bled out or died from the heart attacks."

She frowned deeply.

"They wanted me to live." he summed up. "So they took what I didn't need: my appendix, those weird tendons in my arms I don't need, my reproductive organs, my..., my fingers and toes and then stitched them back on, a couple ribs... They also broke a lot of bones, too."

She wiped her eyes quickly before sitting next to him, holding his hand tightly. She didn't say anything, but he could tell her feelings. She pitied him.

At least she wasn't scared of him.

"And then I had my side...that kept reopening." he finished. "But I'm okay, now, I promise."

"You can't even walk." she managed.

He frowned. "Yeah, but I'm fine. No more horrible pain. Everything's healing. This is the fight."

"The fight..." she nodded. "Okay. Get dressed. We're going to be there soon."

"Do you think I'll be able to walk all the way through?" he asked honestly. "I don't think I can."

"If you can't, Percy will carry you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He nodded, grabbing his clothes. "Okay, I'll meet you out there."

She nodded, pulling the curtain around his bed for privacy before leaving sadly at the news she had just heard.


	25. Chapter 25

_**AN: Percabeth didn't fall into Tartarus in this story.**_

* * *

Jason stayed facing the wall, his eyes closed but awake as he listened to Nico and Annabeth's conversation. When he was sure he _couldn't_ trust Nico, Annabeth left. As quickly as he could, he got up and walked above deck.

"Jason!" Piper ran into his arms, looking at his head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jason kissed her cheek before breaking the hug. "Are we by the House of Hades?"

"A couple minutes until landing. Leo just told us to go below deck." Piper explained, leading him to dinning hall, everyone there but Leo and Nico. She sat down, pulling him into a seat next to her.

"Nico's going to join us through the House of Hades." Annabeth said, breaking the silence around the table. "If anyone objects, than they're not going. Because I can't work with someone that does that."

"Okay, Annabeth." Percy held her hand. "We're not going to reject Nico in anyway. We really need his help, anyway."

"Yeah, you do." Nico was in the doorway, leaning against the frame in pain. After a second, he made his way over and collapsed in a chair. "There's ghosts and spirits down there that will trick you when you're at your worst. You have to stay focused on reality or you won't make it. And my side came unstitched."  
Annabeth frowned, turning to Piper. "Can you-"  
Piper nodded, getting supplies before going next to Nico. He took his shirt off, allowing her to do it.

Jason frowned at the injury, looking at it closely. "How did that happen?"

"Stitches come undone, Grace." Nico snapped, his eyes dark.

"He meant how you got the injury." Annabeth explained before glancing at Jason. "I accidentally shot him in a battle."

Nico frowned, whispering to her. "Why are you lying?"

She smiled slightly at him before putting her hair in a ponytail. "Anything else we have to go over?"

"Hazel will go first." Nico added. "The paths are unstable. She will lead us through the safest way."  
Hazel nodded in agreement.

"Nico, can you tell us how the Doors of Death work? So we know for when we get there." Jason asked.

Nico frowned, looking down at his lap. "They're almost like an elevator." he spoke quietly. "When someone's in them, the button needs to be held for twelve minutes or they won't make it. There is chains attaching it on each side, or level. Both need to be cut to free them."

"So...the chains in the Tartarus side need to be cut?" Frank asked. "So someone will have to go in?"

Nico nodded.

"And how are they going to survive that?" Jason asked.

Nico looked at him, his eyes cold and emotionless. "I never said they would live, did I?"

"We're not worrying about that right now." Annabeth broke the tension. "Right now we're-"  
She was cut off when the ship landed, the bell above them ringing for them to come above deck. She stood up, looking at all of them. "Are you all ready?"

They nodded, each getting up one by one. That started to head for the deck, Nico trailing behind. He walked slowly, every breath and every step aching. After a couple minutes, Percy came up to him. "Want me to carry you? Just for now."

Nico scowled. "I don't want your help."

"Well, Annabeth's making me." Percy explained, kneeling in front of him.

Nico sighed, crawling onto Percy's back after a second. Percy's steps jolted his side, but it was much better than walking the whole way. When they finally got to land, all the others had already been there for a couple minutes.

"Are you ready?" Annabeth asked, standing amongst the old ruins. Everyone nodded, their expressions grim with what was to come.

"T-This way." Hazel said after a second, starting to lead them by some tourists. They climbed over the ruins and into a trench, coming to a door going into the hill. They stopped, Hazel looking through her book bag before pulling out barley cakes, passing them out.

Percy set Nico down, eating some before handing the rest to Nico. Once they were all finished, they opened the door. Percy picked Nico back up, and they headed in.

They walked before Hazel moved a stone out of their way and they headed down a flight of stairs. There, they found a golden chalice.

"Let me down." Nico ordered, pushing against Percy. The son of Poseidon did as he was told, stepping back when Nico was on the ground.

Nico difficultly walked up to the chalice, taking a drink before handing it to Annabeth. She drank it immediately, but it took the others some convincing before they did. During while they drank, Nico frowned as he heard Jason and Leo's conversation.

"So, that's the poison, huh?"

"You're really going to trust it."  
"Annabeth does."

"Annabeth also calls him her friend. He could be killing us."

"I know, but we have no choice."

Nico got on Percy's back as they started to walk again, going deeper below the earth. Hazel led the way through twists and turns, always seeming confident where she was going. Nico, however, was having a much worse time. His vision was getting blurrier with each step, the ribs he had left feeling like fire in his chest.

Percy only noticed something was wrong when he heard the younger one's labored breaths.

"Nico, you okay?" Percy whispered, not alerting the others. He stopped for a second, looking at him.

Nico nodded slightly, closing his eyes.

Percy frowned, stopping. "Annabeth!"

They all stopped, turning to face him. "What?"  
"Something's wrong with Nico."

Annabeth's eyes widened as she ran up to them, helping Percy lay him on the ground. She checked his pulse, frowning. "Nico, where does it hurt?"  
He moved a hand to his ribs, coughing.

She sighed in relief, looking up at Percy. "It's just the state of his ribs with the foul air down here. We can keep going."

Percy nodded, picking him up again. Looking at the others, they looked annoyed, but he didn't care. If Nico died, Annabeth would be horribly upset. So he had to protect Nico.

And he had promised that to Bianca, a long time ago.


	26. Chapter 26

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Nico started to think he preferred drowning over this. This suffocation. Every breath brought in more dry air to his lungs, moving against his ribs. Pain erupted in his chest every time, but there was nothing else he could do. He had to keep breathing. It was the only way survive.

He was so out of it that he didn't even pay attention to where they were going. Percy kept walking, however, so he knew they weren't at the Doors. Only then did he care where they were.

"Nico, we're almost there." Percy whispered to him. "We're at the second level."

Nico nodded slightly, closing his eyes. The sound of his blood dripping echoed around them, leaving a clear path. Percy's back was soon covered in blood, but he didn't force Nico off. Instead, he continued on.

He leaned his head on Percy's shoulder, soon falling asleep.

When he woke up, everything was chaos.

"Let her concentrate." Annabeth whispered. "She's using the Mist."  
Nico frowned, picking his head up. When he looked in front of him, Hazel was standing with her back to them. She was facing a woman, whom he knew to be the sorcerer.

Behind them, a giant stood in front of the Doors of Death.

"Let me down." Nico coughed, sliding off of Percy. "Those are it. We need to get over there."

Annabeth nodded. "Wait for Hazel to-"

"He's weak to fire." Leo spoke up. Nico stopped listening from there, eyeing the Doors. As soon as Hecate (when did she get there?) lured the giant forward, Nico stumbled over there.

When he got to them, he leaned against the wall in pain. "Annabeth!"  
Her head snapped up, frowning as she jogged over to him. "What are you doing? The giant is-"

"Not my concern. Look, can you hold the button for twelve minutes?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, why?" she then froze, glaring at him. "No."  
"Yes," he pushed the button, the Doors opening.

"No!" she grabbed his arm. "You're not closing Them."

"Yes, I am." he looked at her for a second before smiling sadly. "I'll be the martyr so you can be the hero."

"No." her eyes started to water. "You don't have to."

"Then who will?" Nico asked. "No one else wants to die. But I honestly don't care if I do. My life's too painful."

"We could make it better." Annabeth pleaded.

"No one will have a life if someone doesn't do this." Nico crossed his arms. "Please, just help me this one last time. Then you get to go be the hero."

"I don't want to be the hero." she whispered.

"Yes, you do." he put a hand to his side, frowning at the blood.  
She wiped away a tear quickly before hugging him.

He hugged her for a second before breaking it, glancing around. "We need to hurry."  
She nodded, giving him a knife. "Will we know when you break the chains on that side?"

He nodded. "The Doors will shutter."

She nodded, looking up at the others, who were fighting the giant. "Percy! Come cover me!"  
As he ran over, Nico stepped into the elevator. He looked at Annabeth sadly, putting on a fake smile. "Watch over Hazel, alright? At least...I won't be feeling anymore pain."

She nodded, smiling at him one last time before moving her hand to the button. Nico leaned back as the Doors started to close, taking the world with them.

Then he was alone in the darkness.

When those Doors opened, he cut both chains before being bombarded by the army of monsters. They came from each side, trying to stop his knife. But they didn't get there in time. He got both of them cut, watching them disappear.

When he knew his job was done, when he knew he had won, he laid back and gave up.

All he saw were monsters and darkness, and that was how it ended.


End file.
